MOROCCO · DIPLOMACY
Ecuador said in Rabat, Morocco’s capital, on Monday 9 November 2026 that it supports Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara region, known as Western Sahara, within the relevant United Nations resolutions. Ecuador’s foreign minister also signed a visa-exemption agreement for Ecuadorians with ordinary passports.
For US readers, the visit shows a Latin American government again siding with Morocco on a long-running territorial dispute, a position the US government has also taken since December 2020. It comes with a cooperation roadmap for 2026 to 2028.
Key Facts
- Who Roberto Kury, Ecuador’s foreign minister, met Nasser Bourita, his Moroccan counterpart, in Rabat.
- The Sahara Ecuador backs Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara region, within relevant UN resolutions.
- Visas Ecuadorians with ordinary passports are to be exempt from visas once Morocco finishes its procedures, up to a month.
- Trade Morocco intends to donate 2,000 tonnes of fertilizer; both sides want lower duties on some Ecuadorian goods.
- Next Morocco announced the coming opening of its embassy in Quito, Ecuador’s capital.
A short visit, a signed visa deal and a clear political line on the Sahara. The practical results come over the next months.
What Was Signed in Rabat
Ecuador’s government said its foreign minister, Roberto Kury, signed a visa-exemption agreement and a cooperation roadmap for 2026 to 2028 with Morocco’s foreign minister, Nasser Bourita. Both documents are meant to make travel easier for Ecuadorians and to widen cooperation between the two countries.
The visa exemption covers Ecuadorians with ordinary passports and takes effect once Morocco completes its internal procedures and makes it official. Ecuador’s government says this could take up to a month.
The ministers presented a joint communiqué in Rabat on Monday. Its full text is linked from Ecuador’s foreign ministry.
Trade, Fertilizer and an Embassy
Both countries said they are willing to cut tariffs on certain Ecuadorian products, with the list to be agreed jointly. Morocco also said it is interested in donating 2,000 tonnes of fertilizer to Ecuador.
The ministers agreed to push for a first meeting of a joint economic and trade committee, which Ecuador proposed to host online. They also expressed interest in a tourism cooperation agreement.
Morocco announced the coming opening of its new embassy in Quito, Ecuador’s capital. Bourita praised Ecuador’s efforts against transnational organised crime and drug trafficking, and its steps to protect logistics and trade chains.
Why the Sahara Dispute Matters
Morocco controls most of Western Sahara, a desert territory on the Atlantic coast that it calls its southern provinces. The Polisario Front, a movement that seeks an independent state there, rejects Moroccan rule and wants an independence vote.
Reports of the talks say Ecuador also reiterated its support for the autonomy proposal Morocco put forward in 2007, under which the region would govern itself within Morocco. The US government recognised Moroccan sovereignty over the territory in December 2020, as we explained in our coverage of Morocco’s plans after the end of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Sahara and in our explainer on Western Sahara after the UN mission.
What It Means for You
Ecuadorian travellers should find Morocco easier to visit once the visa exemption takes effect. For businesses, the fertilizer offer and the tariff talks point to small but growing trade between Morocco and Ecuador.
Investors watching Latin America can read the visit as a sign that Ecuador, led by President Daniel Noboa, is courting new trade partners. See our explainer on Ecuador’s role in Latin America and the latest on Morocco.
What Is Not Known
The exact date the visa exemption starts is not confirmed, and nor is the list of Ecuadorian products that could get lower tariffs. The fertilizer is described as an interest to donate, with no delivery date.
Morocco’s foreign ministry statement was not available to us when we wrote this, so we rely on Ecuador’s government account. The date for opening the Moroccan embassy in Quito has not been announced.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Did Ecuador Say About the Sahara?
Ecuador said it supports Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara region, known as Western Sahara, within the relevant UN resolutions. Reports of the talks add that it reiterated support for Morocco’s autonomy proposal.
Did Ecuador and Morocco Sign a Visa Deal?
Yes, on 9 November 2026 in Rabat, for Ecuadorians with ordinary passports. It takes effect once Morocco completes its procedures, which Ecuador says could take up to a month.
Who Met in Rabat on 9 November 2026?
Ecuador’s foreign minister Roberto Kury met Morocco’s foreign minister Nasser Bourita. Kury was on an official visit to Morocco.
What Is Morocco’s Autonomy Plan?
Morocco proposed in 2007 that the Sahara region would govern itself under Moroccan sovereignty. The Polisario Front, which seeks an independent state there, rejects it and asks for an independence vote.
Sources: Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Relations and Human Mobility, press release of 9 November 2026 (cancilleria.gob.ec); joint communiqué presented in Rabat, 9 November 2026.
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