Australia–Morocco relations


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 Rabat was established in May 2017, upgrading the existing Austrade office in Rabat. Previously the Australian Embassy in Paris was accredited to Morocco since 1978.

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." 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.
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. The Moroccan embassy is also accredited to Vanuatu, Kiribati, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Tuvalu.

Moroccan Ambassadors

Australian official visits

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." 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."
On 12 May 2017, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop announced the establishment of the Australian Embassy in Rabat and Berenice Owen-Jones as the new ambassador, noting that this appointment would be "an important addition to Australia’s diplomatic presence in Africa and part of the single largest expansion of our diplomatic network in 40 years."

Australian Ambassadors

Trade and investment

Trade between Morocco and Australia is small but growing, with total merchandise trade between the two countries for 2015–16 being AUD$79,307, an increase of 17.2%. Major Australian exports to Morocco includes meat and sugars, honey and molasses, while major Moroccan exports to Australia include crude and processed fertilisers.

Defence relations

Ties between the Australian Defence Force and the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces are limited. In June 2015, visited Casablanca in a rare visit to Morocco by an Australian naval vessel. In May 2011, a delegation from the Royal Moroccan Navy visited Australia to view Armidale-class patrol boats as a potential replacement to their existing patrol boat fleet.
In 1991, Australia sent 45 military personnel to serve as the Force Communications Unit of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara. The Australian contingent was withdrawn in 1994. On 21 June 1993, Army Doctor Major Susan Felsche, of the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps, was killed in a Medical Unit aircraft crash, while serving in MINURSO.
There is a single Australian war grave in Morocco, maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Flying Officer Leo George Hardiman, attached to No. 145 Maintenance Unit RAF, was killed in an accident on active service on 30 November 1944, and was buried at Ben M'Sik European Cemetery in Casablanca.