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Israel signs transport deal with Morocco as relations deepen

Direct shipping adds to already stronger trade ties developed since signing of 2020 recognition agreement
Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev (L) standing next to her Moroccan counterpart Mohammed Abdeljalil in Rabat (Twitter)

Israel has signed a series of transport deals with Morocco as the two countries continue to foster deeper relations following their 2020 recognition agreement.

Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev signed three deals during a visit to Rabat with her Moroccan counterpart, Mohammed Abdeljalil. 

The deals include letting Israelis use their driving licenses in Morocco, encouraging direct shipping between the two countries and sharing exchanges related to road safety and transport innovation.

Regev tweeted on Sunday that she was excited to visit Rabat and hoped to visit her grandfather's grave, who lived a "long life in Morocco".

"I am sure that together we will strengthen and bring the relations between the countries and in the Middle East to new heights. The meeting was cordial and professional with professionals from both sides," Regev wrote on Twitter. 

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"I very much hope that soon I will host the Moroccan Minister of Transport for his first visit to us in Israel."

In December 2020, Morocco signed the US-brokered Abraham Accords and normalised ties with Israel. 

Since then, relations between the two countries have rapidly developed, with Rabat buying military equipment and cybersecurity products from Israel. 

Tourism has also led to at least 200,000 Israelis visiting Morocco, with bilateral trade growing by a third between the two countries in 2022. 

The signing of the Abraham Accords led to the United States recognising Morocco's claim to the contested Western Sahara region, where the Polisario movement seeks independence. 

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