The Foreign Relations and National Defense Committee (CREDN) of the Brazilian Senate adopted a draft decree approving the defense cooperation agreement with Morocco signed in Brasilia on June 13, 2019.
According to the Brazilian Upper House, the draft, which was ratified by the Chamber of Deputies (lower house) in mid-February, will be discussed further during the Brazilian Senate’s plenary session.
The draft’s rapporteur, Senator Esperidião Amin (Progressive, Santa Catarina), submitted to the plenary a report encouraging its approval, stressing that the agreement signed in 2019 focuses on research and development and logistical support, and aims to encourage the acquisition of defense products and services and the exchange of expertise in the areas of operation of the armed forces of Morocco and Brazil.
The Brazilian Senator added that the agreement also covers the promotion of joint military actions including training and instruction, military exercises, and exchanges of information in the field, noting that the agreement also focuses on collaboration in defense systems and equipment.
The draft also addresses the implementation and development of the application of defense technologies, in light of the participation of the sector’s industry in Morocco and Brazil and the exchange of technology and know-how between the two countries.
The draft legislative decree (PDL) 1101/2021, supported by both the Brazilian government and the opposition, also allows for “the exchange of visits between Moroccan and Brazilian instructors and military students.”
In addition, the agreement oversees participation in theoretical and practical courses, cultural and sporting events, humanitarian aid, and military health training.
The draft decree, which also defines the rules of civil liability framing this cooperation, was signed during a visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, to Brazil in 2019.
During Bourita’s visit, the two countries signed seven agreements in different fields, including investment, defense, mutual legal assistance, and double taxation on maritime and aerial transport.
