Morocco, Israel discuss industrial cooperation

RABAT

Morocco and Israel on Monday discussed prospects for industrial cooperation and partnership in five sectors, an official said.

"This morning, I conducted remote discussions with my Israeli counterpart, Amir Peretz, on the prospects for bilateral industrial cooperation," Moroccan Industry Minister Moulay Hafid Elalamy tweeted.

The sectors identified include textiles, food industries, applied research in industry, green technologies, and renewable energy, he added.

Morocco and Israel agreed to normalize relations in a deal brokered with US help earlier this month.

As part of the deal, the US recognized Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara region, a disputed region claimed by both Rabat and the Algeria-backed Polisario front.

Rabat says the move is not normalization, but rather a resumption of official relations that began in 1993 but were suspended in 2002.

After the UAE, Bahrain and Sudan, Morocco became the fourth Arab country to normalize ties with Israel in 2020. Jordan and Egypt also established relations with the Jewish state in 1994 and 1979 respectively.

Palestinians, as well as many other countries, are critical of the so-called "peace agreements."

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat