Ecuador inaugurated on Friday an Embassy in Rabat, its first diplomatic mission in the Maghreb region, at a ceremony attended by Ecuadorian Foreign Minister, Gabriela Sommerfeld, and her Moroccan peer Nasser Bourita.

During the inauguration ceremony, Sommerfeld stated that the opening of the embassy marks the beginning of a new era of dynamism in Morocco-Ecuador cooperation. She reaffirmed her country’s commitment to deepening bilateral relations, strengthening ties across strategic sectors, and facilitating the exchange of expertise in various fields.

Sommerfeld added that the embassy in Rabat, Ecuador’s first in the Maghreb region, is intended to serve as a “gateway to African markets” and reflects her government’s determination to elevate bilateral cooperation with Morocco.

Bourita, on his part, said the inauguration follows Ecuador’s historic decision to sever all ties with the pseudo-SADR on October 22, 2024, and to further strengthen its relations with Morocco.

He highlighted that Morocco is home to 165 diplomatic missions, including 50 representations of international organizations. With 14 Latin American embassies now established in Rabat, Morocco is well-positioned to serve as a “bridge” between Latin America and Africa, offering unique advantages—cultural, geographic, and strategic. This growing diplomatic presence, he added, reflects the importance Morocco attaches to its ties with Latin America within the framework of its foreign policy.

The emerging “win-win” partnership between Morocco and Ecuador aims to set an example of effective and solidarity-based South-South cooperation, Bourita stressed, emphasizing that the two countries are committed to expanding cooperation across multiple sectors, aspiring to build a strong and dynamic South-South partnership that serves the shared interests of their peoples.

The inauguration took place following talks between Bourita and Sommerfeld, during which the Ecuadorian foreign minister reiterated her country’s support for the Autonomy Initiative presented by Morocco in 2007, which Ecuador views as the basis for a lasting solution to this regional dispute.