New Delhi, 19 September (H.S.):

The Ministry of External Affairs

appoints Sanjay Rana as the next Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of

Morocco. Rana is presently Ambassador of India to Bulgaria. He is from Indian

Foreign Service year 1996 batch.

Relations between India and Morocco

go back to the 14th century when the famous traveller and writer from Tangier,

Ibn Batuta, travelled to India. In modern history, India was active in the UN

supporting the Moroccan freedom movement and recognised Morocco on 20 June 1956. Diplomatic relations were established in

1957.

Over the years, India and Morocco

have enjoyed cordial and friendly relations. Desire to build an intensive

interaction culminated in the first landmark visit of our Prime Minister Atal

Bihari Vajpayee to Morocco in February 1999 followed by the visit of Moroccan

PM Abderrehman Youssoufi to India in February 2000.

After ascending to the throne, King

Mohammed VI chose India for his first visit to an Asian country in 2001.

Relations have been further intensified since the meeting of King Mohammed VI

with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 29 October 2015 on the sidelines of the

third India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-III) in New Delhi.

It is reflected in around 25

Ministerial visits and interactions since October 2015 and signing of more than

40 MoUs/Agreements in the areas including counter-terrorism, cyber security,

space, agriculture, vocational training etc.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Nimish kumar