(Bloomberg) -- Germany said it will summon the Moroccan ambassador in Berlin after the north African country suspended contacts with the German government over unspecified “deep misunderstandings.”
The suspension covers the German embassy in Rabat, cooperation agencies and political foundations, according to a Moroccan Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
The German government sees no reason for its normal diplomatic relations with Morocco to be impaired, a government official said. The Moroccan ambassador in Berlin was therefore today summoned by the German foreign ministry for an urgent meeting and will be asked to explain the matter, the official add.
News of the move to suspend contacts did not come via official channels. Instead, a screen shot of a March 1 letter in which the Moroccan Foreign Ministry communicated the decision to the country's prime minister and other officials was leaked to social media. The spokesperson confirmed the message's authenticity but did not provide further details.
Disputed Territory
Phrasing of the type used in the announcement usually refers to unfriendly positions taken or gestures made by nations concerning Morocco's claimed sovereignty to the disputed Western Sahara, where tensions have been building in recent months, or the kingdom's human rights record.
Still, it remains unclear what Berlin may have done to trigger Monday's letter.
Germany is Morocco's seventh-biggest trade partner, and it lent the kingdom around $1.5 billion last year amid the devastating effects of the coronavirus pandemic. The country's Kfw development bank has played a key role in financing Morocco's massive expansion into renewable energy.
Berlin has also removed Morocco from a list of countries whose citizens qualify for political asylum.
A number of German political foundations are active in Morocco and some have run into trouble with authorities due to perceived endorsement of critics of the regime.
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