Israel and Morocco agree to open embassies after New York talks

Israel and Morocco have agreed to open embassies in their respective countries following a meeting between their top diplomats and the US ambassador to the United Nations in New York on Wednesday.

The two countries established ties in 2020 as part of the US-led Abraham Accords, under which several Arab states normalised relations with Israel.

At the meeting, Israel and Morocco reaffirmed their commitment to measures including "upgrading diplomatic relations between the two countries, elevating their respective diplomatic missions to the level of embassies, and the appointment of ambassadors", an Israeli foreign ministry statement said.

A joint statement released by the US mission to the UN on behalf of all three countries said they believed that the "establishment of full diplomatic, peaceful and friendly relations between Morocco and Israel is in the common interest of both countries and will advance the cause of peace".

The statements did not offer a timeline for the establishment of the embassies, and Israel had previously made a similar announcement in June 2022 during a visit to Morocco by then-foreign minister Yair Lapid. 

The two countries also said after Wednesday's meeting that a series of economic agreements would be concluded between them by year's end, while the Israeli statement added that "high-level reciprocal visits between the two countries will take place in the coming months".