Nadia Fettah se reúne con el embajador estadounidense en Marruecos

Morocco has started 2023 with a firm commitment to grow the economy and improve the data that already last year represented a growth compared to 2021. Among the many initiatives that the Kingdom intends to carry out, increasing investment and strengthening exports are the two that stand out above the rest. However, in order to complete them, it wants to remain close to the countries that can best help Rabat regain the economic ground it has lost in the last two years of crisis.
 
The diplomatic rift with Algeria, the energy crisis over gas prices, and rising inflation over the past year have hit the country led by Aziz Akhanouch hard. In this context, Rabat is looking to its allies for support to help it out of this situation, a context in which the United States appears. For this reason, Nadia Fettah, Minister of Economy and Finance, met with the US Ambassador to Morocco, Puneet Talwar.

The intention of this meeting was to "review a set of areas of economic and financial cooperation between the Kingdom and the United States and discuss ways to further strengthen this cooperation", according to the note published by the Alawite ministry. The minister presented the main reforms the government has been working on over the past year, as well as the initiatives it hopes to implement this year. Fettah focused on the areas of social protection, investment, education and health, in which she hoped to increase cooperation with Washington.
 
Puneet Talwar welcomed the momentum of the proposed reforms and expressed the US's intention to support the development of relations with Morocco. It should also be noted that Rabat is moving closer to one of the United States' most important allies, Israel. The Alawi kingdom's growing leadership in terms of renewable energy is part of the fight against the energy crisis, as is the agreement reached with Tel Aviv for the exploration and production of natural gas.

Despite the difficulties, Morocco has entered the new year in a very strong position. In fact, deposits in Moroccan banks reached an all-time high in 2022, reaching close to one trillion dirhams. Moreover, the latest data from last year point to an increase in the flow of money in circulation. Cash in circulation increased by as much as 8.9% compared to the same tranche in 2021.
 
All this, taking into account the complexity of the moment Mohammed VI's country is going through, represents a clear sign of the Kingdom's strength and, above all, the will to continue to grow. The meeting with the US ambassador is a further step in strengthening relations with its allies, as will be the upcoming Negev Summit, where Morocco will share a table with both the United States and Israel, as well as representatives of Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

Americas Coordinator: José Antonio Sierra.