DR ‹ › On Tuesday, Abdellatif Loudiyi, the Minister Delegate in charge of the National Defense Administration, welcomed Pakistan's Federal Minister of Defense, Muhammad Asif Khawaja, along with a high-level delegation, for a working visit to Morocco. During the meeting, a memorandum of understanding in the field of defense was signed. The ceremony was attended by Army Corps General Mohammed Berrid, Inspector General of the Royal Armed Forces and Commander of the Southern Zone, as well as the Ambassador of Pakistan to Rabat, according to a statement from the National Defense Administration. This memorandum seeks to bolster cooperation in diverse areas, including training, joint exercises, cybersecurity, the defense industry, military health, and the sharing of experience and expertise in other sectors of mutual interest. A joint mechanism for monitoring and coordinating these cooperative activities was also established. Military relations between Rabat and Islamabad have been revitalized since the visit of General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan, to Morocco in February 2020. In October 2023, the Royal Armed Forces participated in an international military exercise in Pakistan. In November 2024, Major General Mohamed Gadih, Inspector of the Royal Air Forces, visited Islamabad to meet with Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu. These high-level exchanges led to a bilateral cooperation program, highlighted by joint training in April 2025 between the special forces units of both countries in Cherat. The signing of this cooperation memorandum comes at a time when India, Pakistan's historical rival, is already making its presence felt in Morocco. In September 2024, the Kingdom partnered with the Indian group Tata to produce WhAP 8x8 land combat vehicles. This agreement was followed by a visit in December 2024 to Rabat by representatives of the Indian defense industry, who met with Abdellatif Loudiyi. Furthermore, Morocco and India signed a memorandum of understanding in the field of defense on September 22, 2025.
