José Estévez: ‘Spain considers Morocco a very important partner’

The Barceló Hotel in Tangier hosted the 10th Spanish-Moroccan Maritime, Transport and Logistics Meeting organised by the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Tangier.    

Within the framework of this event, Atalayar was able to talk to José Estévez, president of the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Tangier, who highlighted the great importance of cooperation between Morocco and Spain and who also alluded to important issues such as digitisation, innovation, cross-border cooperation and the environmental challenge in a sector as relevant as the transport and maritime sector.  

Congratulations because the success of this Spanish-Moroccan maritime, transport and logistics meeting has been a success with critics and the public, as a bullfighting fan would say. 

Indeed, we are very satisfied with the massive attendance, as we have seen in this tenth edition. Very important topics have been discussed, which I believe are extremely important, such as digitalisation, innovation, cross-border cooperation and the environmental challenge.  

In addition, it is important to digitalise and cooperation between the two countries. 

Certain stereotypes must be overcome, because cooperation between Spain and Morocco is fundamental for the development of the two countries, but also for the security and stability of the entire region. 

Spain and Morocco always say that they are doomed to understand each other and so on. It's not that we are condemned, I mean, geography cannot be changed, what happens is that I always talk about respect.  

Yes, we need to respect each other more. I think that in recent years we are now respecting each other, and I am speaking now as Spain. We are respecting Morocco much more, we are considering Morocco as an important partner, given the figures and given how the country is progressing; if we are not united, we will never reach the objectives we want to set. 

Right now, the change in the Investment Charter that Morocco is trying to make to attract investment favours the arrival of Spanish investors in a northern region such as Tangiers-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, which has a very important development and very clear opportunities. 

Indeed, the new Investment Charter is important. King Mohammed VI has made it a priority, he has made the Charter useful, and it has also been greatly improved at the legal level.  

Here you are talking about Al Hoceima, I also include Nador because you know that in our Chamber we have opened Nador because I believe that, in the next five years, it is going to develop. In the port of Nador, Nador West, the container capacity is going to be 12 million, when Tangier Med only has a capacity of 9 million, so it is going to exceed Tangier Med.  

I think that Nador is also a very important area and we must provide security and we must accompany, especially accompany and communicate, so that people know where they come from, how they can invest, because we are a short distance away, but there is a different culture. Yes, you have to adapt and know how to do business here. 

Regarding the Spanish ports, the collaboration with Tangier Med has allowed an increase for all of them. 

The city of Motril is very involved, I was with them in Nador a month ago. Motril is permanently there, in Nador, because, with regard to the new port, we want Spain to be involved and not to leave the Germans, who have recently been arriving at the port to cooperate, to invest, for all the services, transport, logistics of a new port, and, in view of this, Spain has to be present and, furthermore, there are already important Spanish companies located there.  

Also, a Chinese company is manufacturing all the hydraulic equipment, the blades, which are also up to 100 metres long. I was amazed when I saw 100-metre blades.  

This is tremendous, and then there are 3,000 people working soon, I think Nador is going to develop and we have to be there too, and I invite from here, from your platform, the businessman to visit Nador and see what possibilities the area has. Through our Chamber, we will advise them on everything they need.

Moreover, in addition to the port of Nador, the port of Dakhla has also been mentioned here. The Sahara has other opportunities and should be complementary to the Canary Islands, and the Atlantic coast, which is a very important initiative of the King for the stability of the Sahel, which is a very delicate area. 

It is an area in which they are going to develop and commercialise everything in the northern region, which is where we are and where we know how to act. 

Operation Marhaba, Operation Crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, is currently underway, and everyone has prepared to provide the best service. And, furthermore, with digitalisation and modernisation, so that the exodus of millions of Moroccans can take place without any kind of problem. It's a challenge again, isn't it? 

You have to be satisfied with the way it has changed... I remember 30 or 40 years ago what the Strait Crossing was like compared to what it is today. Nowadays they don't wait more than 3-4 hours in the middle of August. Today there is a fluidity, there are a tremendous number of boats and it really is an economy. We are not going to get into the prices of the shipping company, which are excessively expensive for a distance from Tarifa to Tangiers, which is 20 km away. 

The general director of Baleària, Georges Bassoul, asked for organisation in terms of timetables and for more or less planning, as happens with the train, and to be able to get more out of it. I don't know if this is more complicated. 

The timetables are established, what happens is that they are not respected because I have been to Tangier Med, I am not going to talk about any company, and you can spend four or five hours waiting for all the lorries to load. Of course, the company is interested in filling the ship with trucks.