The International Publishing Book Fair, discussed today 14th of May 2024, the Moroccan and British diplomatic relations. A history of 800 years, witnessing the Strong diplomatic relations the two kingdoms had in the past.

During the panel held at the book fair, Mohamed Laamiri, Moroccan writer and historian, stated some untold stories about British and Moroccan Ambassadors. This sensitive position, as addressed by Mr.Laamiri, generated many unlucky if not tragic stories. For instance, the first ambassador Ahmed Ben Ahmed Qardinass, sent by Moulay Ismail in 1706 to England, left a bad impression due to his behavior toward his servants, leading to his incarceration after his return to Morocco.

“Ambassadors in these times were put in very difficult situations”, added Mr.Laamiri, after narrating the tragic event of 1757. The British ambassador James Reid traveled to Marrakech with the ambition of releasing slaves. Back to Rabat, he discovered that his ship destroyed one of the sultan’s ships. The incident so angered the sultan that he threatened James Reid to send him as a slave to Meknes. The situation weighed heavily on the British ambassador, leading him to take his own life.

However, the present and the future of the British and Moroccan diplomatic relationship are continuously evolving. Pr. Driss Ouaouicha, explains that the relationship between the two countries has deep roots in History. He stated “THe relationships went through ups and downs, but fortunately, the ups outweigh the downs and today we’re in a very good situation because we have a lot in common, we have monarchies, (...)  so we have excellent relationships that help us look forward to a brighter future”.

He adds “There are excellent relationships economically thanks to investment-wise in energy, in agriculture, and to research done by researchers in Morocco and Britain. Today there are joined publications of roughly 320 articles every year. This votes for a bright future, for a future of increasingly improving relationships between the two countries.”