Agadir welcomed its European partners for financial support
Morocco's relations with the European Union and its Member States cover most of the main aspects that any government would like to see. Technological development, economic development, trade relations, and security cooperation are some of the pillars underpinning the Kingdom's relations with its European partners. If we talk about economy and trade, it is important to underline that Morocco is the EU's first partner in the entire African continent.
Morocco is strategically located at the crossroads of Europe, Africa and the Middle East, making it an ideal location for international companies seeking to expand into new markets. On a visit to Agadir, delegations from member countries led by embassy staff from each, and members of the European Investment Bank (EIB), underlined "the European Union's affection for its relations with Morocco, as well as the importance of the partnership in the Souss-Massa region". The meeting took place in the framework of Europe Month.
The wali (governor) of the Souss-Massa region, Ahmed Hajji, and the president of the Souss-Massa Regional Council, Karim Achengli, welcomed the participants of the delegation. They also met the first vice-president of the Agadir Communal Council, Mustapha Bouderka. The same source added that the discussions focused on "the development priorities of Agadir and its region, as well as the joint action of the EU and its Member States as committed partners, particularly in the fight against climate change".
Members of the delegation will also be received by representatives of civil society involved in environment, local development and citizen participation. "Together with my fellow ambassadors from the Member States of the European Union and the EIB, we salute the dynamic role played by the region, with the contribution of its vital forces (authorities, elected officials, civil society and youth) in the economic fabric of Morocco," said Patricia Llombart Cussac, EU Ambassador to Morocco.
The European ambassadors also visited projects supported and carried out as part of the partnership between Morocco, the EU and its Member States on their first day in Agadir, including the National Institute for Fisheries Research (INRH) in Agadir, where research is being done. modern science, in particular for the protection of marine biodiversity, with the support of the EU. To create aquaculture farms and a food processing plant, which is the result of a European investment, the programme convenes a meeting of members of cooperatives and young entrepreneurs benefiting from European support.
The Souss-Massa National Park will be explored on the second day with Abderrahim Houmy, Director General of the National Agency for Water and Forests (ANEF). It is the most important ornithological tourism destination in Morocco, due to the massive presence of native birds such as ibis eremites. Also on the itinerary are trips to the Chtouka seawater desalination plant, the historic Kasbah of Agadir Oufella and the Ibn Zaydoun Landscape Park.