Puente conveys Spain's interest in high-speed rail and logistics cooperation to Morocco
The Spanish Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, travelled to Rabat to hold talks with his Moroccan counterpart, Mohammed Abdeljalil, on issues of common interest such as infrastructure, in order to make progress on the necessary studies to develop this area in a fruitful way for both parties.
- Official visit of the Spanish Minister of Transport to Rabat
- Spain and Morocco accelerate the start of their cooperation in transport and logistics
- Spain aims to take part in the expansion of Morocco's high-speed rail network
- The tunnel between Tangier and Punta Paloma
The extension of the high-speed line to Marrakech and the underwater tunnel that will connect Spain with Morocco through the Strait of Gibraltar were the key points of the meeting that brought the ministers together in Rabat.
Puente expressed Spain's interest in participating in these promising mega-projects that will undoubtedly contribute to the development of both countries, future hosts of the 2030 World Cup.
Official visit of the Spanish Minister of Transport to Rabat
The Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente, visited the Rabat capital to discuss issues of common interest in the field of transport and infrastructure with Moroccan government representatives.
The aim was to get a close-up look at the important projects planned by the Moroccan kingdom, as well as those currently under study. In his meeting with his counterpart Mohammed Abdeljalil, Óscar Puente discussed Morocco's ambitious plan to expand its interregional, suburban and high-speed railway network, underlining the great technical capacity and experience of Spanish companies in this field.
Puente's trip to Rabat also included an official meeting with the Moroccan Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka, to shed light on the port collaboration between the two countries and the attractiveness of the projects undertaken by the southern neighbour for Spanish companies.
The meetings between the Moroccan government representatives and the Spanish Minister of Transport allow the channels of communication established between the two countries in terms of infrastructure and transport to be deepened and consolidated.
It should be recalled that the agenda of the Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility in Rabat included, in parallel, a visit to the Casablanca headquarters of Alsa, the leading Spanish public transport company in Morocco, to see its activity in the region.
Spain and Morocco accelerate the start of their cooperation in transport and logistics
Morocco and Spain decided to accelerate the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in the fields of transport and logistics, signed in February 2023 in Rabat, during the 12th High Level Meeting between the two countries.
In this regard, Óscar Puente and his Moroccan counterpart Mohammed Abdeljalil agreed to create a joint team in charge of drawing up an action plan on the issues of common interest mentioned in the memorandum.
With regard to the transport of passengers and goods by road, the two leaders expressed their satisfaction with the fruitful and ongoing dialogue of the Joint Spanish-Moroccan Commission for International Road Transport.
The two ministers also examined the possibilities of intensifying cooperation in this area with a view to meeting the needs of professionals in this sector, which plays a vital role in both countries in terms of passenger and freight transport.
Spain aims to take part in the expansion of Morocco's high-speed rail network
The Spanish Minister of Transport conveyed this Monday to his Moroccan counterpart, Mohammed Abdeljalil, Spain's will and interest in taking part in the high-speed expansion project in Morocco that will reach Marrakech.
For Morocco, the first African country to implement the high-speed railway, "Spanish companies are the right choice, as they meet the three requirements of being good, beautiful and cheap", according to Puente.
Within the framework of a tender launched in November 2023 by the Moroccan state railway operator (ONCF) which aims to have 168 trains (18 high-speed trains), with a total cost of 16 MMDH (1.4 billion euros), the Spanish Talgo aspires to be an opportune candidate to participate in a project of such magnitude.
"Spain can play an important role in the expansion of the railway network in Morocco", explained Óscar Puente, pointing out that "we are a leading country in railway matters, our high speed is very important because we are the first country in the world in high-speed connectivity per population and the second in kilometres after China".
"The success of our high-speed rail lies in being good, beautiful and cheap and we want to share with Morocco our knowledge and experience in this area", added Mr Puente, expressing his full confidence in Spanish companies and products.
For his part, the Moroccan minister mentioned that "Spain is a pioneer in the high-speed rail network and has very strong companies that will compete with the rest of the countries to participate in this project".
Describing both countries as neighbours and brothers, the Minister of Transport reaffirmed that Spain can play a very important role not only in the railway network, but also in road transport.
In the same vein, Puente focused on "the need to create a more ecological corridor around the Strait", similar to the one between Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania; the infrastructure that is part of the REPowerEU plan objectives for 2030, which will start in the south of Finland and cross the three Baltic countries and Poland to end in the centre of Germany.
"The relationship with Morocco is a priority for Spain because it represents an enormous opportunity for the development of this area, which is so important in the world", concluded Óscar Puente.
The tunnel between Tangier and Punta Paloma
This project dates back to 1989 and began with the idea of building a bridge linking Europe and Africa. This idea was discarded in the mid-1990s in favour of building a railway tunnel, following the model of the Eurotunnel or the Channel Tunnel linking France to the United Kingdom.
A 38.7-kilometre double rail tunnel was envisaged, with 27.7 kilometres of this tunnel to be constructed in the sub-seabed at a depth of approximately 100 metres.
Addressing very important issues for Spanish-Moroccan relations, the Spanish minister said that "Spain and Morocco have a long way to go together, and this project is a great opportunity for their common development".