Towards a new paradigm for economic relations between Morocco and France
The business meeting between Morocco and France gave rise to bilateral talks and panels on such relevant topics as energy, industry, talent, digital, health sovereignty and agri-food.
Organized by the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM) and MEDEF, the forum brought together more than 500 Moroccan and French businessmen. It was attended by the Minister of Economy and Finance, Nadia Fettah, the French Minister of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, Bruno Le Mair, the President of CGEM, Chakib Alj, and the President of MEDEF Patrick Martin and relevant businessmen such as the CEO of Renault Morocco, Mohammed Bachiri.
The Moroccan Minister of Economy and Finance, Nadia Fettah, assured during her speech that "from Morocco, and only from Morocco, it is possible to benefit from an attractive legal and fiscal framework, infrastructures that meet the highest international standards, and to draw on a financial services ecosystem that offers a full spectrum of services.
Fettah said, "Morocco is experiencing a period of significant economic and social progress thanks to the important reforms that His Majesty has initiated. These reforms allow us to look to the future of our nation with serenity."
Business meeting
MEDEF Chairman Patrick Martin pointed out that "in a world marked by growing tensions, we need to forge strong partnerships, to be able to count on allies who share the same ambitions: those of meeting the challenges of the green transition & ensuring shared prosperity".
Martin pointed out that "Morocco and France can count on strong ties, the fruit of a shared history but also of partnerships between their private sectors. It is up to us to further strengthen these ties. A mission to which our companies contribute directly".
And he acknowledged that "the Kingdom of Morocco is indeed a country that I admire for its profound transformation while respecting its traditions, for the projects it has been able to lead, for its strength and determination, I would even say for its vision".
For his part, the president of the CGEM, Chakib Alj, listed the sectors of cooperation "defense, energy, automotive, infrastructure, agriculture... there is no shortage of opportunities for our companies to work together and strengthen the economic ties between our two countries".
A relationship that represents a "paradigm shift that must also take into account a world economic order in perpetual transformation, which has caused shocks that force us all to reinvent ourselves and reduce our dependencies, in an agile manner".
The head of Moroccan businessmen underlined that "Morocco has embarked on a path of serene and ambitious development under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI. France must be at the forefront of partner countries in this development" and an example of the new relationship is demonstrated by this meeting with which "we want new foundations for the economic relationship between Morocco and France. We are convinced that we must find a new mutually beneficial balance," he said.
New schemes
The CEO of Renault Morocco Group, Mohammed Bachiri, indicated that Moroccan and French operators must work together to establish new co-location and industrial integration schemes that combine proximity, security and competitiveness.
At this meeting, the director general of the Mohammed VI Fund for Investment, Mohamed Benchaaboun, considered that the new paradigm must be based on a solid relationship that, taking a long-term view and relying on the rich common history of the two countries, is fully in line with the ambitions and objectives that Morocco has set for itself under the enlightened leadership of King Mohamed VI.
The former Moroccan ambassador to Paris stressed that the partnership between Morocco and France aims to transcend the strict framework of bilateral relations to inscribe itself in a perspective linking two continents, with Morocco positioning itself as a platform and axis between Europe and Africa, adding that Rabat and Paris can "together realize this project in the interest of our two countries."
For his part, Avril Group CEO Jean-Philippe Puig called for complementarity between French and Moroccan stakeholders to accelerate the implementation of ongoing initiatives, insisting on the need to support farmers and integrate them into the global value chain of agro-industrial stakeholders.
For his part, Safran's Chairman of the Board, Ross Mcinnes, said he preferred the notion of "made with" rather than "made in" to encourage greater complementarity and integration of value chains.
It is time to move on to a new chapter, that of "growing with," to grow together, he considered, stressing the importance of training and research and development, particularly in the area of supply chains.
Economic cooperation addressed by the Ministers of Economy and Finance
Minister of Economy and Finance Nadia Fettah and French Minister of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty Bruno Le Maire met, on Friday in Rabat, on strengthening economic cooperation between Morocco and France.
This meeting gave the two ministers the opportunity to discuss the economic dynamics in both Morocco and France, as well as the development of cooperation and partnership relations between the two countries.
Fettah highlighted the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries, stressing the importance for Morocco and France to take into account the geopolitical, social and societal challenges they face.
"The strong ties of friendship and economic relations between the two countries could serve as a model for cooperation between the two shores of the Mediterranean," she estimated, insisting on the importance of paying greater attention to the issue of energy sovereignty, which implies the supply of clean and sustainable energies for both the population and the industrial sector.
The minister also pointed out that substantial efforts were made to provide adequate responses to the universal problems affecting the world's population, especially in Europe and Africa.
For his part, Le Maire referred to the prospects of the economic partnership between France and Morocco, as well as the cooperation of both countries with Europe and Africa.
