Rabat: India and Morocco held the fifth foreign consultations in Rabat and resolved to further expand and strengthen bilateral partnership in different domains.

Dr Ausaf Sayeed, Secretary (CPV and OIA) in the Ministry of External Affairs, co-chaired the fifth India-Morocco consultation in Rabat.

"Secretary (CPV & OIA) @drausaf co-chaired 5th India-Morocco Foreign Office Consultations in Rabat. Both sides resolved to further expand & strengthen bilateral partnership in different domains," Indian Embassy in Morocco said in a tweet.

Ausaf Sayeed also held a meeting with Morocco's Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development Leila Benali. They discussed areas of bilateral cooperation between India and Morocco, including fertilizers, renewable energy and climate change.

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar had held a meeting with Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September.

Earlier in September, Girish Chandra Murmu, Comptroller and Auditor General of India and Zineb El Adaoui, the first President of the Court of Accounts, Morocco signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation between the supreme auditing bodies of the two countries. Both sides agreed to conduct training programmes in their respective countries and explore other means of capacity development support.

For long, India has been one of the major markets for Moroccan phosphates and its derivatives. India's export basket to Morocco has also grown significantly in recent years.

The main items of India's exports to Morocco are cotton yarn, synthetic fibre, chemicals, manufactured metals, machinery and instrument, transport equipment, pharmaceuticals, automotive parts and spices.

Main items of Moroccan export to India are phosphoric acid, phosphate, metallic ores and metal spray and inorganic chemicals.

Relations between India and Morocco go back to the 14th century when the famous traveller and writer from Tangier, Ibn Batuta, travelled to India. In modern history, India was active in the UN supporting the Moroccan freedom movement and recognised Morocco on June 20, 1956 immediately after its independence. Diplomatic relations were established in 1957.