Syria and Morocco have agreed on a comprehensive path for relations between the two countries, starting with the political track at the level of the two foreign ministries, and moving to the economic, educational and trade aspects, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Asaad Al-Shaibani, announced the opening of the Syrian embassy in Morocco, on the evening of Thursday, May 14.
During a press conference with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, in Rabat, Cheibani pointed out that the Syrian government is waiting for the visit of the Moroccan minister to Damascus to inaugurate the Moroccan embassy there, stressing that Syrian-Moroccan relations are progressing in an upward manner and continue to push forward.
Chaibani confirmed that Damascus and Rabat have agreed to establish a joint businessmen council and benefit from "the successful Moroccan experience in many sectors".
Morocco reaffirms support for Syrian government's actions
For his part, the Moroccan minister said that the Moroccan government supports and welcomes all the measures taken under the leadership of President Ahmed al-Shara, to make the political transition in Syria a success, despite the regional conditions and complex contexts.
He stressed that the reopening of Syria's embassy in Morocco is evidence of the return of relations to normal after a hiatus of more than ten years.
Bourita pointed out that the Kingdom of Morocco, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, has always been clear in its support for the aspirations of the Syrian people for freedom and dignity, and clear in its support for Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He noted that the political, security, economic and legal steps taken in Syria are on the way to stabilizing Syria and "getting it out of the dark phase in which it has been living for years."
Steps to restore relations between Damascus and Rabat
Relations between the former regime and Morocco have been permanently stopped since July 2012, when the two sides exchanged ambassadors, and the Moroccan Foreign Ministry at the time attributed this step to the failure of its efforts to settle in Syria, while the regime's move came on the principle of "reciprocity."
After the fall of the former regime, the Syrian and Moroccan governments took a number of steps to bring views closer and improve relations, so that Syria closed the headquarters occupied by the "Polisario" separatists in Damascus, in the presence of representatives of Morocco on May 27, 2025.
Morocco has announced the reopening of the Moroccan embassy after it has been closed since 2012, the official Maghreb Arab News Agency (MAP) reported on May 17, 2025
Old points of contention
Prior to 2012, relations between Morocco and the former regime were strained due to the latter's support for the Polisario Front and its recognition on April 15, 1980, of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, which Morocco considers "a separatist movement that seeks to destabilize the security of the Kingdom."
The conflict over the Western Sahara region between Morocco and the Polisario Front dates back to the post-Spanish occupation period in 1975, and this conflict turned into an armed form that was stopped by the signing of the ceasefire resolution in 1991, based on the proposals of the Secretary-General submitted to the United Nations in 1988.