MoS Commerce Jitin Prasada on official 2-day visit to Morocco to co-chair 7th Joint Commission Session

Minister of State for Commerce and Industry and Electronics & Information Technology Jitin Prasada is on an official visit to the Kingdom of Morocco from August 24 to 25 to discuss measures aimed at diversifying the trade basket and enhancing market access opportunities between the two nations.

Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry and Electronics & Information Technology Jitin Prasada is on an official visit to the Kingdom of Morocco from August 24 to 25 (Monday and Tuesday) to discuss measures aimed at diversifying the trade basket and enhancing market access opportunities between the two nations. According to the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, during the two-day visit, Prasada will co-chair the 7th Session of the India-Morocco Joint Commission alongside his counterpart, H.E. Omar Hejira, Secretary of State to the Minister of Industry and Trade, in charge of Foreign Trade, Kingdom of Morocco.

The Joint Commission meeting serves as a platform to review existing bilateral economic and commercial cooperation while working to consolidate mutually beneficial engagements across key sectors. Discussions during the session will span a wide spectrum of areas, including trade and market access, cooperation in fertilizer production and supply, investment, industrial cooperation, customs, agriculture, and food safety. The agenda will also cover pharmaceuticals, healthcare, energy and mining, renewable energy, digital transformation, transport and logistics, AYUSH, tourism, education, and skill development.

The Ministry stated that the Joint Commission meeting aims to "review the existing areas of bilateral economic and commercial cooperation and work towards further consolidating and broadening mutually beneficial engagement" across diverse industrial and technological spheres. On the regulatory and standards front, both sides intend to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on food safety cooperation between the National Office of Food Safety of Morocco and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.

According to the Ministry, the food safety agreement will "facilitate the exchange of information on the safety and quality of imported food products, promote cooperation in sharing information on food testing laboratories and analytical methods, and facilitate the exchange of expertise in areas of mutual interest". The Ministry added that the pact will also "enable technical exchanges relating to import procedures, quality control operations, sampling, testing, packaging and labelling" to streamline cross-border trade.

In addition, both countries will finalise a Cultural Exchange Programme for the years 2026-2030 to encourage institutional collaboration, artist exchanges, participation in exhibitions and festivals, heritage conservation, and linkages between museums and archival institutions. Bilateral merchandise trade between India and Morocco reached around USD 4 billion in 2025. India primarily exports refined petroleum, pharmaceuticals, vehicles, synthetic textiles, food items, and spices to Morocco, while imports from Morocco consist largely of phosphates and fertilisers.

As part of his itinerary, Prasada will engage in high-level meetings with senior Moroccan leaders and participate in the India-Morocco Joint Business Forum in Rabat to explore fresh avenues in investment and joint ventures. The diplomatic visit precedes the upcoming 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Morocco in 2027. (ANI)