AFTER being closed for almost 30 years, the Philippine Embassy in Rabat, Morocco reopened in 2020.
Leslie J. Baja, the Philippines’s envoy to the North African country, presented his credentials to King Mohammed VI, together with 38 other ambassadors on January 17. Also in attendance was Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, who earlier received Baja in June 2021.
In a ceremony steeped in tradition, the Filipino diplomat was ushered to the king at the Throne Room of the Royal Palace in Rabat. After presenting his letters of credence, Baja extended President Duterte’s best wishes and hopes for a new era in Philippine-Moroccan relations.
As the Philippines established diplomatic relations with Morocco on April 10, 1975, the country’s embassy is gearing up for its 50th anniversary in 2025. There are about 4,600 Filipinos in Morocco, mostly employed in the domestic, beauty and wellness, as well as skilled sectors.
In his first meeting with the local Filipino community in June 2021, Baja paid tribute to their positive image, describing them as the “better ambassadors of the Philippines in Morocco.”
A number of agreements await the signing between the two countries in the areas of air services, cooperation between news agencies and diplomatic academies, as well as political consultations. At least two ministerial visits are being planned which would convene the Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation.
Despite the pandemic, trade between the two countries flourished in 2020, which totaled close to $23 million, with the balance in favor of the Philippines.
Baja is a veteran diplomat in the Philippine foreign service, having started in the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1986 as a casual employee. He was previously an ambassador to Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti. He arrived in Morocco in May 2021.
Aside from his latest deputation, he is presently accredited as nonresident ambassador to Mauritania, and is awaiting an opportunity to also present credentials in Guinea, Mali and Senegal.