On February 19, 2020, Cuba’s Ambassador to Morocco, Javier Domokos Ruiz affirmed that he wishes to strengthen the relations between Morocco and Cuba. During his meeting in Rabat with Morocco’s President of House of Representatives, Habib El Maliki, Ruiz emphasized his admiration for the country’s commitment to becoming a world leader in sustainability, renewable energies, and Green Morocco sectors. He cited respectively the kingdom’s collaborative programs throughout the African continent in the fields of infrastructure, agriculture, and industry.
Ruiz’s statement is significant as it demonstrates the first sign that both countries are in the process of building closer ties. Since the 1960s, relations have been strained as a result of the Moroccan Algerian military “Sand War”; these conflicts resulted in a severance of ties between Morocco and Cuba. Subsequently in April 2017 during King Mohammed VI’s visit to Cuba diplomatic relations were reestablished.
El Maliki extended a formal invitation to the President of the Cuban Parliament to visit Morocco. He also proposed more exchanges between officials from each country. At present, there is also a discussion about Cuba’s plan to open an embassy in Rabat. The news first broke during Elio Eduardo Rodriguez Perdomo’s visit to Morocco in October 2019. The former Cuban Ambassador made this potential news public.