Marruecos abre un nuevo consulado en Canadá
The arrival of Aziz Akhanouch in the Moroccan government has brought about a much-needed change in the Kingdom. Since the tycoon's victory in the September 8 elections, moves to strengthen diplomatic ties and create new ones have followed one after the other. After the appointment of a new Israeli ambassador, David Govrin, in Rabat and that of Mohamed Benchaâboun as Moroccan ambassador in Paris, the actions of Mohammed VI's government have continued. On this occasion, the new government is making good on the announcement made in January 2020 and will inaugurate a new Moroccan consulate in Toronto next Wednesday.
"The opening of this new consulate general is in line with the Very High Directives of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, with the aim, among other things, to provide local and quality administrative services to Moroccan citizens living abroad, to accompany them, to meet their expectations and their aspirations while strengthening their ties with the motherland," announced in a press release the Moroccan embassy in Canada. The Consulate General of Morocco in Toronto will also cover the western provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon.
The Moroccan Embassy has announced that the existing Moroccan Consulate in Montreal will cover the Atlantic provinces: Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador. In addition, the official communiqué informs that, for the time being and until the transfer and organisation of the two consulates is completed, consular services relating to the national identity card (CNIE) and notary services will continue to be provided by the Consulate General of Morocco in Montreal.
This opening is an important step for the Alawi kingdom in strengthening its relations with countries on the other side of the Atlantic. The new Moroccan consulate comes in the context of Morocco's diplomatic expansion, despite the complications it is experiencing with other countries such as Algeria. The rupture of diplomatic ties due to the dispute over authority in the Sahara ended up dynamiting relations between two key countries in North Africa. However, Rabat has opted to boost its ties with other states in an attempt to mitigate the consequences of this major rupture with Algeria.
Saudi Arabia is one of the countries considered of the utmost importance, not only by Morocco, but also by the international community due to the continuous progress being made in the country. In fact, the Moroccan president decided to visit Riyadh on his first official trip to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Relations between Morocco and Saudi Arabia are going through one of their sweetest moments. Abdullah al-Mouallimi, Saudi ambassador to the United Nations, reiterated his country's support for Rabat on the Sahrawi issue, saying that Riyadh would reject "any harm to the higher interests or the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Morocco".
The work of the Alawi kingdom has been very important in improving Morocco's external image. After ten years of Islamist government, the change, albeit gradual, is already being felt in Rabat, which cannot stand idly by at a complex time both in its foreign relations and within its borders due to the ongoing economic and health crisis caused by COVID-19. The efforts of Rabat's new government have only just begun, but they have begun quickly and firmly.
