There is a common interest for Spain and Morocco to strengthen ties even further

The assembly hall of the Port Authority of Valencia hosted a new edition of the event "Doing Business in Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima Region" after those held in Casablanca, Barcelona and Seville, in order to present the attractiveness for investment of the northern Moroccan region of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima Region.

Relations between Spain and Morocco are currently excellent and favour economic and trade relations between the two countries. In this scenario, the "Doing Business" event has served to bring together public authorities, experts and entrepreneurs with a view to promoting the development of businesses and companies in the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region.

The meeting was jointly organised by the Regional Investment Centre of the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima Region, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Morocco-Tangier, the Consulate General of the Kingdom of Morocco in Valencia, the Council of the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima Region, the Morocco-Spain Economic Council (CEMAES), the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM) of the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima Region, the Chamber of Commerce of Valencia, the Business Confederation of the Valencian Community (CEV), the Valencian Institute for Business Competitiveness (IVACE) and the Port Authority of Valencia. 

Atalayar spoke with Adil Rais, president of the employers' association CGEM Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima and co-president of CEMAES, to discuss the many possibilities for investment and business in Spain and Morocco and, in particular, in the region of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima.  

We need more information, better knowledge to attract Spanish investment, to increase Spanish investment in Morocco and, in this case, in the area of Tangiers, Tetouan and Al Hoceima.

I think that yes, we deserve a higher level of investment, in Morocco or in Spain; that the Moroccans who have invested or who have begun to invest in Africa think that it is also important to invest in Spain. 

We are doing our utmost, informing and promoting. We are going to organise three meetings in three Moroccan cities in the near future to make Spain better known to Moroccan businesspeople, because we believe that there is a real lack of knowledge about today's Spain, which is modern, decentralised, and very much focused on Europe and Latin America.

I believe that we must improve this knowledge and inform Spaniards that they have an important opportunity for growth by investing in Morocco. There is a common interest, Spaniards in Morocco, Moroccans in Spain, for closer ties and for us to go further. Our countries deserve more. 

And the reality is clear, Mr Rais, because you have given figures on trade exchanges. What figures can we provide? Last year was already a very high figure.

Last year it was 20 billion euros. For this year the forecasts estimate that we will reach 22 billion, which would mean a growth of 10%, but trade is one thing and investment is another. 

Investment is a strong message that there is a union that goes beyond trade between the two countries, which is an insurance policy. If there is a crisis, investment mitigates the crisis and reflects an exchange of interests between the two countries. That is what we have to do. 

The Spanish must understand that Morocco will never be an adversary, but a partner, a partner, a friend, a brother, because history unites us; and also that the Moroccans think of Spain as an ally, a friend and a brother. We need to go further in terms of investment. 

I would like to highlight, in addition to the Tangiers-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, His Majesty King Mohammed VI's Atlantic façade initiative, which is important for the stability of the Sahel and the stability of North Africa.

His Majesty has a brilliant idea, I think it is the way for us to be in a situation of cooperation, in a situation of common growth, and thus minimise the risk of immigration, the risk of conflict, the political risks, etc. I believe that we must improve the idea of broadening the scope of cooperation and integrating countries so that we can achieve the improvement we want to see in a relationship of interdependence between countries. 

And finally, the organisation of the 2030 football World Cup by Portugal, Spain and Morocco is in fact already opening doors for collaboration, infrastructure development and progress in various sectors. We must make all of this known, the opportunities that are being created and the need to take on very important challenges. 

Completely, I think it is a unique opportunity, but I don't think we are going to have it later, 20 years from now, to reflect this common interest more. I have seen many Spanish companies that are interested in investing, in cooperating, in participating in investment projects in Morocco, in terms of tourism, hotels, infrastructure. 

 We also have to build this idea of a common tourism, with the north and the south of Spain. A tourist, a football fan who comes to see the south of Spain, who goes to Morocco, who comes to Morocco, who goes to Spain... I think this is an opportunity that we have to use so that there is more integration and so that, although we do not belong to the same country, this is a land, a region that is ours and common and that can help us to have years of growth, development and peace.

And if we manage to build the tunnel, the milestone would already be...

It would be fantastic. I hope that the European Union can help, because the problem is a political problem of several countries that do not want Africa to be a link, a hook. I think we have to go further than fear. Spain is convinced that it is important, Morocco too, but we have to explain it to European countries that also have an interest in making this link a link that could allow a closer relationship between the two continents.