India and Morocco have jointly launched a trade body to boost bilateral commercial engagements. The India-Morocco Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IMCCI) was launched by visiting Vice President Hamid Ansari and Moroccan Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane. The bilateral trade between the two countries stood at USD 1.26 billion in 2015 with Indian exports forming roughly 25 per cent of the trade volume.

Ansari said that Morocco has emerged as a favoured destination for investments by Indian firms, adding that Indian companies have cumulatively invested more that USD 320 million in Morocco, including in the flagship project, the Indo-Maroc Phosphore SA joint venture.

Did You Know?

• Morocco is only 8 miles (13 km) from Europe, across the Strait of Gibraltar.
• Morocco is one of the world’s largest producers of illicit hashish.
• In Morocco, it is considered impolite to handle food with the left hand and to say no to meat if it is offered at a meal.
• Morocco is the largest processor and exporter of sardines in the world.
• Casablanca, the film named after the Moroccan city, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, won the Academy Award for Best Motion Picture in 1942 and is considered one of the best films of all time.
• Morocco was the first nation to sign a treaty with the United States in 1786.