Thursday, June 27, 2024 at 8:29 p.m.
Laayoune – A large economic delegation from Zambia visited Laayoune on Thursday to explore the investment opportunities that abound in the Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra region.
This visit is part of the Zambia Economic Promotion Week in Morocco (June 21-28), with a view to promoting Zambia’s economic potential in the Kingdom in various sectors of activity and strengthening the partnership between economic actors of the two countries and broadening prospects for cooperation.
In a statement to the press, the Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Republic of Zambia in Rabat, Eliphas Chinyonga, stressed that the objective of this visit is to develop economic relations with Morocco in general and the region of Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra in particular.
Mr. Chinyonga also noted that this visit allowed the delegation to learn more about the region’s potential and to examine the possibilities of promoting partnership and sharing experiences and expertise in the various productive sectors.
Regarding the national cause, the diplomat reaffirmed his country’s support for the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Morocco over its southern provinces.
For his part, the director general of the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA), Albert Halwampa, indicated that Zambian economic players wish to benefit from Morocco’s experience in areas related to the automobile industry and agriculture, expressing the wish to deepen cooperative relations with the Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP) having launched major projects in Zambia.
“When it comes to technology start-ups, we should take inspiration from Morocco, which exports nearly $5 billion to Europe and the United States,” continued Mr. Halwampa, who is leading the Zambian economic delegation.
On this occasion, he said he was impressed by the development dynamics that Laayoune is experiencing, particularly in the sectors of water, electricity, roads and infrastructure.
He also stressed the need to strengthen the partnership with Morocco in all areas, particularly trade, investment and renewable energy, noting that “the Kingdom has made a leap forward in the field of wind energy. and solar”.
For his part, the president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Zambia, Anthony Kabaghe, highlighted the evolution of the industrial sector in Morocco, indicating that this visit aims to consolidate the mechanisms of economic cooperation with Zambian companies and benefit from the experience of Moroccan economic actors.
Mr. Kabaghe also focused on the development of the private sector in Morocco, expressing the wish to benefit from Morocco’s experience in this area and to promote the development of win-win business partnerships between Moroccan operators and their Zambian counterparts.
Zambian economic actors also followed two presentations given respectively by the director of the Regional Investment Center and by an official of the Regional Council, in which the emphasis was placed on the investment potential and the productive sectors in the region, and the advantages and facilities granted to investors and economic operators, as well as on the structuring projects launched by HM King Mohammed VI, which represent the cornerstone of the economic development of the region.
This visit, which brought together several senior officials from the public and private sectors of Zambia, aims to inform foreign delegations of the virtuous dynamics of development in the southern provinces of the Kingdom and the business opportunities offered by the region.
It should be noted that this initiative is part of the strengthening of Morocco’s economic diplomacy with its African partners, with a view to establishing the Kingdom as a regional hub serving African co-development in various fields.
