Morocco and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) want to accelerate their partnership and expand cooperation in areas including trade, investment, food security, renewable energy, and the digital economy, according to Morocco’s Press Agency (MAP). ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn discussed the partnership with Morocco’s new ambassador to the regional bloc, Redouane Houssaini, as Houssaini presented his credentials at ASEAN headquarters in Jakarta. Kao welcomed the development of ASEAN-Morocco relations and called for further implementation of the ASEAN-Morocco Practical Cooperation Areas for 2024-2028, which set priorities for collaboration between the two sides. The ambassador also presented Morocco as a potential economic link between Southeast Asia and Africa, citing the Kingdom’s geographic position, infrastructure, and ties across the African continent. ASEAN granted Morocco Sectoral Dialogue Partner status in September 2023, and the two sides later adopted their 2024-2028 cooperation framework.