Morocco’s foreign minister and his Iraqi counterpart signed Saturday (Jan. 28) a memorandum of understanding.

Baghdad welcomed Morocco’s move to reopen its embassy in Iraq which closed after two Moroccan nationals were kidnapped 18 years ago.

“The Kingdom of Morocco plays an important role in the political and economic fields, especially in the continent of Africa, and it is crucial for Iraq to build a relationship with the Kingdom of Morocco, in order to start the build of futuristic solid relationships with various African countries, in which Morocco started playing an important role, whether it was in political or economic field,” Iraq’s Fuad Hussein said.

Morocco’s top diplomat Nasser Bourita hailed a ‘historic visit’, ‘from the standpoint of being the first visit by a foreign minister to Baghdad for a quarter of a century, approximately, and it is the first visit for a government official in two decades.’

Referring to Israeli-Palestinian violence that spiked in recent days, with an Israeli military raid on a militant stronghold in the West Bank and a Palestinian shooting attack in an east Jerusalem Jewish settlement, he pleaded for a return to calm.

“We denounce all provocative actions and assaults that touch the Jerusalem Sanctuary,” Bourita said. ‘His Majesty the King and through his chairmanship of al Quds Committee constantly asserts that calming is necessary if we want to keep what is left from the glimmer of hope in the peace process and the current situation does.”

Morocco is one of the Arab countries that has grown closer to Israel in recent years.