Morocco has agreed to provide military, operational and intelligence support to the United Arab Emirates to help fight terrorism.
The announcement came during a visit by the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in March 2015. It was one of the 21 bilateral deals expected to be signed during the visit, Agence France-Presse reported.
“This action, part of the tradition of successful partnership and strong solidarity between the two brotherly countries, reinforces a historic and multifaceted military and security cooperation with Gulf States,” Morocco’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
During his two-day visit to Morocco, the Emirati prince participated in ceremonies to open a hospital and a desalination plant. In 2011, the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, to which the UAE belongs, invited Morocco and Jordan to become members. Although that did not materialize, the GCC created a $5 billion fund on behalf of the two countries, AFP reported.
The UAE, which contributed $1.25 billion to that fund, said it had become the primary investor in the Casablanca stock market and that its investments in the country totaled $1.3 billion, according to AFP.
Morocco stressed that there is a long history of cooperation between the two countries. “Hundreds of Moroccan Soldiers had, over several decades, been deployed on the UAE territory as part of their contributions to training and security of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi,” the ministry said in a statement.