China/Africa: Morocco, a partner committed to serving Africa
Hibapress
Morocco is a committed and mobilized partner serving Africa to meet security, development and sustainability challenges, Minister of Industry and Trade Ryad Mezzour said on Friday in Changsha (China).
Under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Morocco has made African integration and cooperation a cornerstone of its vision of development for Africa, said Mr. Mezzour in a speech at a conference held under the theme “Promotion of African countries”, as part of the third edition of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Exhibition (June 29-July 2).
He noted that Morocco has implemented important projects which have made it possible to improve communication and facilitate trade between the different regions, he noted, noting that the Kingdom has become a commercial hub between the Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas.
As an African country, and given its high-level partnership with Asia, Morocco aims to play a major role in improving Sino-African relations, he argued.
China’s desire and commitment to strengthen cooperation with Africa will be supported by its African partners, and Morocco is ready to provide this support, he added, stressing that “duty now requires valuing the achievements to increase mutual investments through the consolidation of economic ties through shared investments capable of creating more job opportunities.
As part of its open policy, Morocco has signed more than 50 free trade agreements, including that of the African Continental Free Trade Area, which has strengthened the Kingdom’s position as a gateway to entry giving access to a market of 2.3 billion consumers, he highlighted.
In addition, Morocco has integrated global value chains to develop efficient industrial sectors, namely automobile, textile, agri-food industries, household appliances, aerospace, marine, railway, medical equipment, medical products, the hydro-industrial system and energy, he said.
Currently, industrial products represent more than 80% of Moroccan exports, he indicated, noting that the automotive sector ranks first in exports, followed by fertilizers, food industries, textiles, electronics and aeronautics.
During the year 2022, the best-selling cars in Europe were manufactured in Morocco, as were the second best-selling cars, he said.
Morocco continues to improve the business climate and make it more suitable for national and international investors by carrying out major reforms, the most important of which was a new investment charter adopted in January 2023, which represented a historic turning point in terms of encouraging private investment, he noted.
Regarding Moroccan-Chinese relations, Mr. Mezzour indicated that the historic visit made by His Majesty King Mohammed VI to China in May 2016 paved the way for the establishment of a strategic partnership between Morocco and China , gave unprecedented momentum to Moroccan-Chinese friendship and enabled the partnership between the two countries to achieve tangible results.
As a central country and strategic player in Sino-African relations, Morocco is committed to strengthening the Sino-African partnership and ensuring the success of the “Belt and Road” initiative, noted the minister, stressing that The Kingdom was among the first African countries to join this initiative, which elevated the strategic partnership between Morocco and China to a higher level.
Consequently, he explained, trade relations have developed at a sustained pace, with bilateral trade increasing by 50% between 2016 and 2021, making China Morocco’s third trading partner and the first in Asia. with a total trade volume of $7.7 billion in 2022.
Speaking at the same conference, the Director General of the Moroccan Agency for Investment and Export Development (AMDIE), Ali Seddiki, shed light on the assets that make the Kingdom an attractive and reliable destination for foreign investments, particularly emphasizing the emergence of Morocco in many sectors.
The key word of continuous development which makes Morocco’s reputation consists of its clear vision of the future which encourages it to make qualitative economic and social choices, he said, citing to this effect the new model of development launched by His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
These choices have enabled Morocco to develop a productive and diversified economy, creating high added value, as well as to strengthen human capital and better prepare it for the future by offering opportunities to all, he noted.
Morocco now has flexible zones, development poles and solid macroeconomic bases, which has tripled the country’s GDP in less than 20 years, he added.
The stability and security enjoyed by the Kingdom make its future prospects still promising, he said, noting that Morocco ranks first among African countries in terms of high-quality infrastructure that meets international standards with 150 industrial zones, 19 international airports, and Africa’s first high-speed train.
He also highlighted that the Tanger Med port constitutes the first maritime bridge between the Mediterranean and Africa, being located only 14 km from Europe, having 184 lines of communication with 71 countries, and handling 9 million containers per year.
Morocco participates in the China-Africa exhibition with a digital stand that highlights the Kingdom’s African leadership in the economic, commercial and environmental fields, with a focus on the automotive, renewable energy and pharmaceutical sectors. and textiles.
It is also about highlighting the Kingdom’s efforts in the fight against climate change and the elimination of carbon.
