Patricia Llombart, nueva embajadora de la Unión Europea en Marruecos
Patricia Pilar Llombart Cussac from Spain, an official of the European External Action Service of the European Union, became the new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the European Union to Morocco on Thursday 11 November. Succeeding the German diplomat, Claudia Wiedey, Llombart presented her credentials to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Resident Abroad (MRE), Nasser Bourita, at a reception held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rabat.
The Spanish diplomat has more than 20 years' experience in European institutions, where she has specialised in the areas of international relations and foreign policy in Mercosur countries and the Middle East. Her academic training as a lawyer and jurist at the University of Valencia was complemented with international knowledge through the Masters in International Trade Management at the ADEIT University and Political Science and European Administrative Studies at the College of Europe.
In addition, throughout her career she has held positions such as director of Infrastructure, Budget and Security at the headquarters of the European External Action Service (EEAS), or ambassador and head of the Delegation of the European Union in Colombia, where she has served since 2018. Her work in the latter post led her to be decorated with the Order of San Carlos last August by the President of the Republic of Colombia, Iván Duque.
Thus, the new appointment has taken place within the framework of progress in the alliance and cooperation relations between the European Union and Morocco. In terms of trade and commerce, the European territory is for the Maghreb country the most important of its partners. At the same time, the EU sees Morocco as its most important trading partner among the African international community. In fact, according to data provided by the General Confederation of Moroccan Businesses, trade between the two regions amounts to 35.3 billion euros.
In parallel to the diplomatic advances, European relations with the Maghreb country continue to make progress with regard to the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement at the meetings held on 11 and 12 November in Brussels. These talks have enabled a review of the results obtained to date, as well as the consequent establishment of the bases for the 2022 fisheries agreements.
There are also many other examples of cooperation between the EU and Rabat, such as the new initiative promoted by both powers to unify efforts against global warming through environmental protection and the promotion of the green economy. This project, announced in June 2021, will be developed under the name 'Green Partnership', and will join others such as the 'Pact for the modernisation of trade and investment between the EU and the Kingdom of Morocco', which, reached last September, promotes the renewal of the framework for trade and investment relations between the two parties.
Thus, as the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Naser Bourita, and the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, made public in a joint communiqué in September, both Morocco and the European Union will continue to work together 'to develop the multiple dimensions of this strategic partnership' and will do so 'in the same spirit of mobilisation, coherence and solidarity'. Furthermore, the statement adds that these relations will continue to be strengthened in "a climate of serenity and commitment" to "consolidate the Euro-Moroccan shared prosperity partnership launched in June 2019".
