Speaking at the opening of the France-Morocco business forum, the French Minister of the Economy drew up, as proposals for French and Moroccan bosses, a list of priority projects to strengthen cooperation between Paris and Rabat, from an economic point of view. The details
A reunion. It is in this atmosphere that the France-Morocco business forum opened this Friday, the first event of its kind after the end of tensions between Paris and Rabat, a prelude to the strengthening of economic cooperation. In addition to the bosses of the bosses of each of the two countries, CGEM for Morocco with Chakib Alj and MEDEF for France with Patrick Martin, the event also saw the presence of the Minister of Economy and Finance, Nadia Fettah, and his French counterpart Bruno Le Maire, Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty.
During his speech, and even if he remains little said about French support for investments in the territory of the southern provinces, Bruno Le Maire set the priority objectives of Franco-Moroccan cooperation, and the segments around which it is based. ‘will articulate.
“The rebirth of economic relations between France and Morocco. We have so much in common. Two great nations, two great peoples who are destined to exercise their leadership, one on the African continent and the other on the European continent. affirms Le Maire first, before recalling the common attachment of the two countries to the environment. “We have the same desire to decarbonize our economy, the same industrial vocation”, he continues.
Carbon-free energy in the viewfinder
For Bruno Le Maire, the challenge of cooperation between France and Morocco is to become great powers of the 21th century: and for this, according to the French minister, it will be necessary to focus on carbon-free energy, initially.
Concretely, this will involve France and Morocco working together first of all in solar with the photovoltaic panel sector. “We made the choice with the President of the Republic a few weeks ago to develop the production of photovoltaic panels in France with advanced technologies and recyclable panels. Let’s combine our know-how to work in these areas,” he calls in front of the audience made up of business leaders from Morocco and France.
“We want to work together in wind power, work together in hydrogen, and I am announcing to you that we are going to launch a project between IRESEN (Institute for Research in Solar Energy and New Energies; editor’s note), and the SATT accelerator in Paris-Saclay to develop our projects in decarbonated hydrogen »we remember from the minister’s speech, a nod to the recently deployed Morocco Offer in terms of green hydrogen.
Still with regard to green investment, and as he has already stressed to the press since his arrival in Morocco this Thursday, the French Development Agency (AFD) will release a loan of 350 million euros for the OCP group. This will therefore be able to contribute to the financing of its investment program, where it dedicates an entire section to hydrogen, decarbonization and green investment.
In his speech, Bruno Le Maire addressed Morocco’s project to build an electric highway, dedicated to the transport of energy. “ You will produce energy in the Dakhla region and you need it to feed the large metropolis of Casablanca. We are ready to participate in financing this infrastructure”, declares Bruno Le Maire, thus confirming our previous information. As we revealed, Proparco is in the running to co-finance this electric highway.
“I also put on the table the possibility of cooperation in the field of nuclear energy production. We are working on these famous SMRs, smaller modular reactors”announces Bruno Le Maire. “It’s up to the Moroccan government to see if it is interested in this cooperation. I say our availability to work in this sector”he advances cautiously.
While addressing rail, aeronautics where Bruno Le Maire says that Airbus “is ready to open this cooperation”, but also automobiles, with the mention of the field of batteries and electric cars, the French minister ended up affirming France’s desire to help Morocco in the organization of the 2030 World Cup. “ You are going to build the largest football stadium on the planet. It will attract several investors, events, geolocation with companies like Thalès, hotels, restaurants”recalls the minister, before proposing the creation of a France-Morocco working group dedicated to the organization of the 2030 World Cup.
Concluding his speech, Bruno Le Maire also mentioned that the BPI should sign a partnership agreement with the Mohammed VI Investment Fund, to finally specify that these partnerships will also concern French and Moroccan Small and Medium Enterprises.
