Rabat: Ties between Morocco and the Philippines rest on a strong foundation that can be further leveraged across several strategic sectors, Philippine Ambassador to Rabat Leslie Baja said, welcoming the fifty years of bilateral diplomatic ties celebrated last year.

According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, Baja noted that the two countries have come a long way, marked by high-level visits, the signing of numerous agreements, and the establishment of strong people-to-people relations, which he described as “the very strong foundations for the next 50 years.”

On the economic front, the Philippine diplomat observed a significant increase in bilateral trade in recent years, adding that “after we reopened, we saw about a 50% increase in the bilateral trade,” although “the actual numbers are quite small, but we see that there is an upward trend going.”

Baja mentioned that Morocco serves as a gateway to Africa and even to Europe, while the Philippines is the gateway to ASEAN, providing both countries with complementary advantages that could foster stronger economic cooperation.

In this regard, he highlighted opportunities in sectors such as “agribusiness, aeronautics, electronics, and textiles,” while recalling that “we’re a very big importer of phosphate from Morocco.”

Speaking about prospects for regional cooperation, the ambassador welcomed the sectoral partnership agreement signed between Morocco and ASEAN in 2023, noting that it provides “a wide breadth of areas of cooperation where we can intensify cooperation, not just bilaterally, but also on a regional side.”

Regarding the Royal Atlantic Initiative aimed at facilitating Sahel countries’ access to the Atlantic Ocean, Baja commented that “the Royal Atlantic Initiative would do the same for the countries in the Sahel” as ASEAN has done in Southeast Asia, generating positive economic, political, and social impacts.

“Regional integration for Africa would certainly benefit economically and even politically, so that Africa will be a more politically stable, economically viable, and culturally great continent,” he observed.

Concerning Manila’s support for the Moroccan Autonomy Plan for the Kingdom’s Southern Provinces, the ambassador recalled that during the visit of the Philippine Foreign Minister to Morocco in 2022, the Philippines stated that “the Moroccan autonomy plan is a good basis to resolve the issue.”

“Security Council Resolution 2797 is a game changer,” Baja said, expressing hope that the political process would reach its final destination.

He also reiterated his country’s support for “the United Nations process in resolving the Sahara issue” with a view to achieving a definitive solution.

Baja also spoke about a book on the history of Morocco-Philippines relations, scheduled to be presented on Thursday, explaining that the initiative aims to chronicle half a century of cooperation between the two countries and highlight the contributions of Moroccans and Filipinos to bringing the two peoples closer together.

According to him, the book goes beyond presenting historical facts and also provides insight into “the strong bond based on the people-to-people contact that made Philippines and Morocco closer to each other.”