Clavijo strengthens the “Atlantic axis” with ten cooperation agreements between the Canary Islands and the Souss Massa region
- Ten agreements for stable cooperation
- Business B2B
- Universities, science, and innovation: knowledge as the backbone of the Atlantic
- 2030 World Cup
The president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, led an institutional mission in Agadir on Monday that will form part of the Canary Islands-Africa Strategy, which will be approved by the Canary Islands Executive in the coming weeks and which strengthens the Atlantic axis of cooperation between the archipelago and the Moroccan region of Souss Massa.
During the mission, which began on Monday at the headquarters of the Wilaya in the region, ten collaboration agreements were signed in the areas of business, trade, innovation, academia, and sports, as well as a memorandum between the two Atlantic regions that strengthens “a relationship based on good neighborliness, institutional cooperation, and common interest.”
The day began with an official welcome by the Wali of the Souss-Massa region, Saaïd Amzazi, and the president of the Regional Council, Karim Achengli, together with the Spanish ambassador to Morocco, Enrique Ojeda, followed by institutional speeches and the presentation of economic and investment opportunities in both territories.
In this context, Fernando Clavijo stressed that “the Canary Islands and the Souss Massa region share an Atlantic location that compels us to cooperate on common challenges such as energy, water management, sustainability, and climate change.”
During his speech, the President of the Canary Islands stressed that “this mission responds to the Canary Islands Government's desire to consolidate a strategic and stable relationship with Morocco, based on practical cooperation and concrete results for both territories.” In this regard, he pointed out that “the main objective of this visit is to align agendas and territorial priorities in order to generate mutual benefits from a shared vision of the Atlantic.”
The Canary Islands Government and the Souss-Massa Region also signed a Memorandum of Understanding that reinforces and consolidates the institutional cooperation that both parties have maintained since 2008, based on geographical proximity, economic complementarity, and territorial similarities.
The agreement was signed by the president of the Souss Massa Regional Council, Karim Achengli, and the president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, and establishes a stable framework for collaboration aimed at promoting joint projects and the exchange of knowledge in strategic areas such as economic and trade cooperation, investment promotion, the blue economy and port cooperation, tourism, renewable energies, university cooperation, and regional governance, with the aim of moving towards a sustainable development model that generates shared benefits for both territories.
In this context, Fernando Clavijo highlighted the strategic position of the Canary Islands as an Atlantic platform towards the European Union, West Africa, and international trade, emphasizing its port infrastructure, air and sea connectivity, and its Economic and Fiscal Regime. The president stated that “the Canary Islands aspire to be a useful Atlantic platform for Morocco and Europe, connecting territories, economies, and opportunities.”
For his part, the Director General for Relations with Africa, Luis Padilla, highlighted the work agenda developed by the Canary Islands delegation in Agadir, emphasizing that it responds, among other factors, to "the strategic geographical position of the Canary Islands, as well as to the need to maintain and strengthen a solid and stable relationship with the countries of the West African coast, such as Mauritania, Senegal, and Cape Verde, as well as with Morocco,“ a cooperation that the regional government ”wants to intensify within the framework of the Canary Islands-Africa Strategy, which has already been completed and is expected to be presented by the Canary Islands Government in the coming weeks."
Ten agreements for stable cooperation
One of the central milestones of the mission was the signing of ten collaboration agreements that reinforce a stable framework for cooperation between the Canary Islands and the Souss-Massa region in strategic areas. Fernando Clavijo stressed that “today we are creating a stable public and private framework to promote investment, trade, and joint projects on both sides of the Atlantic,” supported by B2B business meetings between companies from both territories.
In the field of innovation and knowledge, the president stressed that “scientific diplomacy and innovation are central to the Canary Islands-Africa Strategy, which we began working on practically from the very first minute of this legislative term and which we will present in the coming weeks, and to our relationship with Morocco,” adding that “cooperation between technology centers and universities allows knowledge to be transformed into solutions with a real impact on the territories.”
In the field of tourism, the president highlighted the potential for developing a strategy that benefits both territories and stated that “tourism is a natural area for Atlantic cooperation that can move towards more sustainable and diversified models.” In this regard, he stressed that “improving air and sea connectivity is key to the shared development of the Canary Islands and Souss-Massa,” especially in view of the 2030 World Cup.
Business B2B
As part of the Canary Islands delegation's agenda in Agadir, on Monday afternoon the Canary Islands business mission held an extensive meeting with business leaders from the Souss Massa region at the headquarters of the General Confederation of Entrepreneurs of Souss Massa (CGEM). The meeting, held in a B2B format and led by Proexca, identified opportunities for economic cooperation in strategic areas such as tourism, trade, and connectivity, as well as exploring business synergies aimed at boosting trade, attracting investment, and strengthening economic relations between the Canary Islands and the Moroccan region.
Universities, science, and innovation: knowledge as the backbone of the Atlantic
The Minister of Universities, Science, Innovation, and Culture of the Canary Islands Government, Migdalia Machín, highlighted that university and scientific cooperation is one of the strategic pillars of the relationship between the Canary Islands and Africa.
Within the framework of this institutional mission, six university agreements were signed, out of the ten signed, led by the two public universities in the Canary Islands: four agreements from the University of La Laguna (ULL) and two from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC). These agreements strengthen academic, research, and training cooperation with institutions in the Souss-Massa region.
Machín stressed that these agreements will promote talent mobility, develop joint research projects, and advance knowledge transfer to strategic sectors such as water, energy, digital transformation, and applied innovation, consolidating the Canary Islands as a bridge of knowledge between Europe and Africa.
The minister held a working meeting with the rectors of the two Canary Islands public universities and the rector of Ibn Zohr University. In this context, she stressed that “this visit to Agadir reinforces the shared conviction that the Canary Islands and Morocco, as Atlantic neighbors, are called upon to cooperate in a stable manner in knowledge, university education, and innovation to create opportunities on both sides of the Atlantic.”
She pointed out that “we have come with the Canary Islands' public universities because scientific diplomacy is built on real alliances in joint research, academic mobility, knowledge transfer, and innovation projects that provide solutions in areas of common interest.”
The Canary Islands Minister for Universities pointed out that “Agadir and the Canary Islands share challenges and also capabilities such as young talent, entrepreneurship, advanced training, and the need to promote more resilient economies. That is why this meeting is an opportunity to identify priorities and move from intention to concrete action.”
2030 World Cup
During the afternoon, the president of the Canary Islands visited the Adrar stadium in Agadir, one of the infrastructures that will form part of the 2030 World Cup, an international event that Morocco will share with Spain and Portugal and in which the Canary Islands will also be a host.
During this visit, Fernando Clavijo saw first-hand the improvement and modernization work already being carried out by the Souss-Massa region to adapt the stadium to FIFA standards. The president highlighted the value of the exchange of experiences and technical cooperation between territories facing a common challenge such as the organization of a global sporting event.
The president of the Canary Islands concluded by noting that “the Canary Islands-Africa Strategy is being consolidated through concrete agreements, institutional cooperation, and a shared vision of the Atlantic.”