Casablanca – Morocco and the United Kingdom have announced a significant step forward in their bilateral relationship, marked by the signing of new strategic agreements that expand cooperation in defense, trade, and investment. The announcements followed a high-level meeting in Rabat between Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy on June 2, 2025.
The two countries formalized their shared vision through a Joint Communiqué titled “The Kingdom of Morocco and the United Kingdom Enter an Enhanced Strategic Partnership.” This new framework builds upon centuries-old diplomatic relations and aims to expand cooperation in a broad range of sectors including security, energy, education, health, scientific research, and climate policy.
Defense industry cooperation
Among the key developments is the United Kingdom’s expressed commitment to supporting Morocco’s ambitions to build a domestic defense manufacturing base. Two memoranda of understanding are set to be signed in this regard:
- The first involves the British defense and security trade association ADS Group and Morocco’s Agency for Investment and Export Development. This agreement seeks to connect the defense industries of both nations and facilitate knowledge and technology exchange.
- The second is a collaboration between British multinational defense contractor BAE Systems, Morocco’s National Defense Administration, and the same Moroccan investment agency. The focus will be on investment, capability building, and defense sector development.
These agreements place the UK among the first Western countries to formalize industrial defense cooperation with Morocco. They come as Morocco continues efforts to develop a localized defense manufacturing sector, opening new avenues for large-scale foreign investment.
Broader economic engagement
The expanded partnership also includes a commitment to deepen trade and economic ties. According to the Joint Communiqué, the two nations plan to enhance cooperation across several sectors such as investment, energy transition, water management, human rights, and cultural exchange. The UK-Morocco Association Agreement, in effect since 2021, serves as the foundation for growing bilateral trade.
The communiqué highlights shared values and mutual interests as the basis of this long-standing relationship, which dates back over 800 years. The Treaty of Peace and Commerce signed more than three centuries ago is cited as one of the earliest indicators of enduring ties between the two kingdoms.
Continued industrial development
The recent UK agreements are part of a broader Moroccan strategy to attract international partners in the defense and aerospace sectors. In recent months, Morocco has signed separate agreements with India’s Tata Advanced Systems to build armored vehicle production facilities in Casablanca and with Turkey’s Baykar to establish a drone manufacturing center under the name “Atlas Defense” in Rabat.
Additionally, Israeli firms such as Elbit Systems and BlueBird Aero Systems have announced projects to develop UAV and military equipment factories in Morocco, though some initiatives have been delayed due to regional tensions. Meanwhile, Brazilian aerospace company Embraer has committed to opening a maintenance and repair facility to serve the Moroccan aviation sector.
These developments align with Morocco’s 2020 legal framework (Law 10.20), which regulates and promotes domestic defense manufacturing and exports.
Strategic outlook
As Morocco positions itself as a hub for defense and industrial innovation in North Africa, its evolving partnership with the United Kingdom highlights growing Western interest in deeper cooperation with Rabat. The latest agreements underscore both countries’ shared goals of fostering peace, stability, and economic resilience in an increasingly complex global landscape.
