La ministra de Economía e Industria israelí visita Marruecos para estrechar lazos económicos
Orna Barbivay, Israel's Minister of Economy, landed in Rabat last Sunday to develop her plan for economic cooperation between the two countries. Nadia Fettha Alaoui, Moroccan Minister of Economy and Finance, took advantage of the meeting with Barbivay to praise the progress achieved between the two countries.
Fettha also emphasised the importance of the agreements negotiated between the two ministries on investment, taxation and customs cooperation. He expressed his desire to continue working with the Israeli minister to achieve "the promotion of trade relations between the economic operators of the two countries and to explore the investment opportunities offered by Morocco".
For her part, Barbivay welcomed the constant evolution of bilateral relations and reaffirmed the Israeli government's desire to establish a strategic partnership with the Kingdom. This partnership aims to "give a constructive and sustainable dynamic" to their economic relations.
Fouzi Lekjaa, Minister Delegate in charge of the Moroccan budget, was present at the meeting, along with other officials from the Moroccan Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry. The minister also plans to travel to Casablanca and Marrakech to visit several Israeli industries.
Following the meeting with Fettha, the Israeli official signed a cooperation agreement on Monday with Ryad Mezzour, Morocco's Minister of Industry and Trade. The agreement will increase their annual level of trade from $131 million to $500 million over the next five years.
Mezzour states that it is intended to "intensify industrial and commercial cooperation options [...] and is only a first step on the way". This will not only make it possible to create industrial zones on Alawi soil, but also to organise business visits and business summits.
Industry 4.0, agri-food, medical devices, renewable energies and water technology are some of the fields on which the new Morocco-Israel collaboration will focus. Barbivay referred to the strong cultural and human ties shared by the two nations.
Current trade exchanges stand at 131 million dollars. The Minister of Economy and Industry considers this figure to be insufficient and says that they should quickly reach $500 million a year. She also acknowledged Morocco's important trade role with Europe and Africa.
During this visit, Israel's intention to do everything possible to eliminate any economic barriers with the African country was made clear. The new agreement signed aims, among other things, to facilitate participation in economic meetings and to share knowledge in research and technology.
It also aims to create industrial zones that will enable collaboration not only between the two countries, but also with the United States in the trade and investment sector. The Israeli minister assures that, with this agreement, they will "realise the latent economic potential" and strengthen "technological cooperation", while bringing people closer together.
Orna Barbivay's visit joins the list of meetings that officials from both countries have held in recent months. Last November, Benny Gantz, Israel's defence minister, met with Abdellatif Loudiyi, Morocco's defence minister, in a meeting in which the Kingdom presented its security and defence needs to the Israeli government.
During the visit, Gantz and Loudiyi signed a $500 million pact under which the Jewish state will supply Morocco with the advanced Barak MX system. This air defence system is characterised by its ability to protect against missiles and drones.
Rabat and Tel Aviv resumed relations in the wake of the Abraham Accords promoted by the administration of former US President Donald Trump. As a result, they signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in December 2020 in the field of finance and investment.
