Australia–Morocco relations

Australia–Morocco relations

Morocco
Australia

Australia–Morocco relations refer to the bilateral relations between Australia and Morocco. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1976. Morocco has had an embassy in Canberra since 2004 and the Australian Embassy in Paris has been accredited to Morocco since 1978. Austrade also maintains an office in Rabat.[1]

Diplomatic relations

On 13 July 1976, the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Andrew Peacock, announced the release of a joint statement marking the establishment of diplomatic relations with Morocco as "a mark of the desire of both countries to consolidate and strengthen mutual understanding and to stimulate cultural and commercial links."[2] On 6 October 1978 the acting Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ian Sinclair, announced the appointment of John Rowland, the serving Australian Ambassador to France, as the non-resident accredited Ambassador to Morocco.[3]

The Moroccan Embassy to Indonesia in Jakarta was initially given responsibility for relations with Australia in 1997 with the Ambassador to Indonesia, Omar Hilale, presenting his credentials as the non-resident ambassador to Australia in 1997. In 2004, King Mohammed VI of Morocco announced the establishment of a Moroccan Embassy in Canberra and the first Ambassador, Badre Eddine Allali, presented his credentials to the Governor General of Australia on 24 November 2005.[4]

Australian official visits

Moroccan official visits

An Australian embassy?

In December 2010, the Foreign Editor of The Australian newspaper, Greg Sheridan, opined that "Morocco has an embassy in Canberra. Australia's only embassy in North Africa is in Cairo. [...] The Australian ambassador in faraway Paris is accredited to the Moroccan capital, Rabat. This is intensely sub-optimal, to put it mildly, in terms of Australia's national interests." Sheridan also noted that during a recent Australian parliamentary visit to Morocco, the Australian Embassy in Paris was not involved despite being the responsible mission: "This, sadly, reflects the pathetically diminished status and resources of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade [...] No other country of our size and wealth has such a paltry diplomatic representation. Morocco, with only a tiny fraction of our wealth, has much wider diplomatic representation than Australia."[9]

In February 2012 the Australian Parliament Foreign Affairs Sub-committee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade undertook an inquiry into the state of Australia's overseas postings. The Ambassador of Morocco to Australia, Mohamed Mael-Ainin, subsequently made a submission to the inquiry arguing for the establishment of an Australian embassy in Morocco, noting: "An Australian embassy in Rabat, like all other great powers, will give an impetus to our ascending bilateral cooperation as well as facilitate Australia’s interests in neighbouring countries, especially French-speaking countries, in Africa."[10] The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade also noted to the committee that "an embassy in Morocco would increase Australia’s capacity to engage with a significant player in North Africa, including in the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation."

The subsequent report of the committee, entitled Australia’s Overseas Representation — Punching below our weight?, observed in its recommendations that "there is merit in opening an embassy in Morocco to serve the Maghreb and notes that this is in DFAT’s plans for an expanded network should it receive sufficient funds."[11]

References

  1. ↑ "Austrade's office in Morocco". Austrade offices. Australian Trade Commission. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  2. ↑ "Diplomatic Relations With Morocco" (News Release). Minister for Foreign Affairs - Hon. Andrew Peacock M.P. Parlinfo: Australian Government. 13 July 1976. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  3. ↑ "Appointment of Ambassador to Morocco" (News Release). Minister for Foreign Affairs - Rt. Hon. Ian Sinclair M.P. Parlinfo: Australian Government. 6 October 1978. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Bilateral Relations - Morocco-Australia". Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco, Canberra. Kingdom of Morocco. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  5. ↑ Brown, Robert (6 June 1994). "DELEGATION REPORTS - Delegation to Syria, Lebanon, Tunisia and Morocco" (Hansard). House of Representatives. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  6. ↑ "DELEGATION REPORTS - Parliamentary Delegation to Morocco and Algeria and to the 52nd Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, Nigeria" (Hansard). House of Representatives. Parliament of Australia. 27 November 2006. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  7. ↑ Stone, Sharman (18 March 2013). "DELEGATION REPORTS - Parliamentary Delegation to the Kingdom of Morocco and the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria" (Hansard). House of Representatives. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  8. ↑ "MOROCCAN FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS AUSTRALIA". The Middle East Times. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  9. ↑ Sheridan, Greg (23 December 2010). "Not on the road to Morocco". The Australian. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  10. ↑ "MAEL-AININ, His Excellency Mr Mohamed, Moroccan Ambassador - Australia's overseas representation" (Hansard). Parliamentary Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. Parliament of Australia. 17 February 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  11. ↑ "Inquiry into Australia’s Overseas Representation". House of Representatives Committees > Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. Parliament of Australia. 29 October 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2016.

External links

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