Morocco: Spain's strategic partner without which there will be no future for Europe

With the aim of promoting investment, trade and consolidate stronger economic ties between the various regions of Morocco and other countries or communities, as is the case also Catalonia, the business meeting "Doing Business in Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima Region" saw the light this Wednesday at the World Trade Center in Barcelona.

The event organised by the Regional Investment Centre of the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region was inaugurated by representatives of high-profile entities such as the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Tangier-Morocco, the Morocco-Spain Economic Council (CEMAES), the delegation of the General Confederation of Moroccan Companies (CGEM) in the region of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, the Chamber of Commerce of Barcelona, PIMEC, Foment del Treball Nacional, Accio-GCC Catalonia Trade and Investment and the Port Authorities of Barcelona;  and seeks the inclusion of the entire investment ecosystem, national and international business leaders, investment experts and leading professionals to share knowledge, foster collaboration and explore strategic opportunities. 

In her opening speech, Carla Salvado, the Deputy Director General of the Commercial and Marketing Department of the Port of Barcelona, highlighted "the role of the Port of Barcelona, which serves as a bridge between Spain and Morocco, particularly between the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region and Catalonia", clarifying that "the port represents the main logistics platform that generates excellent synergy and efficient maritime connectivity between the two continents via Spain and Morocco".  

"The port is working on its strategy on the investment side; meeting the needs of customers in order to make importers and exporters increasingly competitive through investment promotion and wealth creation in continuous collaboration with Morocco," he concluded.

For his part, Jacint Solar Matutes, the Director of International Relations of the most representative employers' association of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and the self-employed in Catalonia (PIMEC), maintained that "Morocco is a fundamental strategic partner not only for Spain, but for the whole of Europe", stressing that "without Morocco there will be no future for Europe because Morocco is a very important consumer market and production centre for Spanish companies, as well as being the gateway to the African market, which offers very great opportunities for Spanish investors". 

Berta Pérez Pey, the Director of Internationalisation and European Projects at the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, placed special emphasis on the importance of cooperation and dialogue between the economic entities of both regions, which enriches the experiences of economic actors on both sides in terms of investment, exports and imports.   

"Barcelona is a beacon of excellence in terms of innovative economy that is characterised by its synergy and its experience with a view to sustainable economy and the Chamber considers Morocco as an essential partner with which ties must be strengthened through the building of bridges of exchange between Catalan and Moroccan companies", added Pérez Pey, highlighting the great synergies that have taken place between Catalonia and the northern region, being areas that contribute a lot to the world and are committed to internationalisation and that continue to build new bridges of collaboration and cooperation between the two economies.

On his side, the vice-president of the International Commission of Foment del Treball, Ramon Palou, highlighted the privilege of this event that represents an open window to the business world, insisting on "the transcendental importance of the commercial relations between the region of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima and the Community of Catalonia". Both regions are experiencing continuous growth, opening the door to strategic partnerships capable of providing innovative solutions and exchanging experiences acquired in terms of technology and sustainable development through the construction of lasting alliances that benefit both regions.

Ramón Palou urged Catalan economic actors to play a special role in exporting their expertise to the TTA region, as well as exploring the strategic opportunities that the region offers, strengthening not only economic ties, but also creating a future path of shared prosperity at the level of culture by creating a solid bridge for collaboration between the two regions. 

The representative of the public agency for the competitiveness of Catalan companies, attached to the Department of Enterprise and Employment of the Generalitat of Catalonia (ACCIÓ) and director of the Casablanca office, Shan Elasri, stated that "investments will be necessary in view of the joint organisation of the 2030 World Cup"; calling to take advantage of the experience of Catalan companies already installed in the region of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima.

Shan Elasri stressed that Morocco's stability and its strategic vision of development is one of the bases that encourage investors to explore the opportunities offered by the entire national territory, especially the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, to Catalan investors. With more than 30 years of cooperation with the Moroccan authorities.

Shan Elasri revealed that "of the 600 Spanish companies installed in Morocco today, 200 are Catalan", which reflects the strong economic relations between Catalonia and the Kingdom of Morocco.   

Amal Boussouf, director of the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Tangier, clarified that the institution operates based on two pillars: first reinvestment through hosting and advising Spanish companies that want to come to invest in Morocco and approach the Moroccan market; organizing business meetings between Morocco and Spain in order to better understand the market. And, secondly, the post-investment, which has diversified services that start with personalised commercial prospecting to get to give visibility to the activities of Spanish and Moroccan companies through the activities developed constantly to promote synergies between companies and open new prospects for companies already established in the region.

The general director of the Regional Investment Centre of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, Jalal Benhayoun, stressed that the event "Doing Business in Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima Region" is a privileged occasion that brought together all economic actors to enrich the debate on investment opportunities in the region and present the full offer; it also reflects the excellent relations between the two countries and both regions.  

Jalal Benhayoun stressed that "relations between Catalonia and the Tangiers-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region are currently marked by economic and cultural exchanges thanks to the actors united around key sectors such as logistics and tourism and renewable energies in the framework of a renewed and reaffirmed cooperation that opens up new business opportunities for any investor wishing to set up in Morocco".

Benhayoun stressed, in this regard, that shared prosperity will be achieved thanks to the transparent and lasting reciprocal commitment that links the TTA region with the region of Catalonia".

The director of the Regional Investment Centre of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima urged to strengthen bilateral relations between the regions in order to achieve sustainable and prosperous development, recalling that the region of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima is the first automotive hub at the national level, distinguished by its boom in strategic economic sectors such as logistics and automotive and renewable energy; The region offers endless opportunities at national and regional level with subsidies and a complete offer of support and financing for investors.  

"The meeting crowns the efforts between the two countries by consolidating bilateral economic ties in order to respond efficiently to the ambitions of foreign investors and benefit from a personalized investment experience in the TTA region," concluded Benhayoun.

Adil Rais, co-president of the Economic Council Morocco Spain (CEMAES) and the employers' association CGEM in the region of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, presented the two institutions that have the common goal of promoting investment in the region.

The CGEM representative said: "We are here in Barcelona because Catalonia is important to us as an important strategic partner, given that 20% of the companies investing in the region are Catalan". 

"Moroccan investments in Catalonia open the way to Europe, just as Spanish investments in the TTA region open the way to the African market," he said, insisting on the importance of working towards fruitful investments in the two countries, with the aim of helping them to invest in the best possible way.

The Moroccan Consul in Barcelona, Charif Cherkaoui, said that "this meeting shows all the harmony that has always characterised the relationship between Catalonia and the Kingdom of Morocco". "It is an opportunity not only to get to know Morocco, with its 3,000 kilometres of Atlantic coastline as an important economic platform for the African continent, but also to get to know Catalonia as a partner of great importance for the Tangiers-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region", added the consul.  

Taoufik El Bourch, Vice-President of the Council of the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, stressed that "with the same ambition to stimulate investment in the region and boost the economy of the territory within the framework of a global Moroccan vision of investment, the Catalan economic actors must be aware of the strategic geographical specificity of the TTA region", stressing the importance of strengthening logistical ties with the region of Catalonia by creating a business environment open to new horizons in both regions in order to consolidate the economic attractiveness of the two parties. 

The Vice-President of the Regional Council highlighted the Northern Development Plan as a major initiative catalysing investment in the region by offering grants to various companies, cooperatives, start-ups or self-employed.