First high-level contacts established to pave the way for cooperation in the field of fertilizers, energy and education
Business
Morocco and Denmark are moving up a gear in their economic cooperation. The Nordic country is particularly interested in the fields of energy and sustainable development with a particular interest in the Moroccan giant, OCP. First indiscretions.
The two Kingdoms, Morocco and Denmark, want to reduce geographical distances through business. The two countries, which until now did not have very close economic ties, seem determined to change the situation, and very soon. Danish officials are particularly interested in the world leader in phosphate products, the OCP Group. In this sense and on the sidelines of the 13th edition of the “Atlantic Dialogues”, organized by the Policy Center for the New South, the Danish ambassador to Morocco, Berit Basse, and the commercial advisor at the embassy, Houda Kaddioui, had an interview with Mostafa Terrab, president of the OCP Group and Youssef Elbari, CEO of OCP Nutricrops. “As a global leader in phosphates and fertilizers, the OCP Group plays a central role in ensuring global food security while fostering innovation in the areas of sustainable agriculture, renewable energy and education through initiatives with the impressive UM6P- Mohammed VI Polytechnic University,” we learn from the Danish embassy.
For the same source, the discussions highlighted the strong alignment between Denmark’s expertise and OCP’s mission, highlighting opportunities for collaboration on sustainability, education and renewable solutions. “We look forward to exploring relevant partnerships that will address shared global challenges and build a more sustainable future,” it says. It should be noted in this sense that the Nordic Kingdom is very active in the production of green ammonia, intended to produce carbon-free fertilizers, hence the presence of the new subsidiary of the OCP Nutricrops Group.
The latter specializes in developing soil and plant nutrition solutions to address global challenges related to food security and sustainability. It thus aims to produce a range of high-quality solutions for soil health and plant nutrition based on phosphate, in a sustainable and customized manner, by promoting advanced agronomic practices and by collaborating with agronomists and experts from around the world. entire. OCP Nutricrops helps farmers access effective and sustainable products, precisely adjusted to the specific needs of their soils, whatever their choice of crop and wherever they are in the world.
Renewable energies
But Morocco and Denmark want to go even further in cooperation, particularly in energy. A few weeks ago, a delegation from the Danish Energy Agency was in Morocco to open a dialogue on energy systems that can evolve with today’s rising demand. The delegation notably toured the main energy players in Morocco to open a debate on the integration of renewable energies through the development of green hydrogen technologies with the stated objective of strengthening bilateral cooperation in the field of green energy.
Meetings took place with the main Moroccan energy players, such as the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development of the Kingdom of Morocco, Masen and ONEE-Branche Eau. According to Danish officials, the meetings were “fruitful” and discussed planning in energy systems and the integration of renewable energies, which paves the way for significant progress. The acceleration of exchanges and visits between the two parties comes after a significant development announced last September by diplomatic officials of the two Kingdoms. Indeed, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, Mr. Nasser Bourita, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Denmark, Mr. Lars Løkke Rasmussen, met on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, held on September 25, 2024. The two ministers recalled the historic and excellent bilateral relations between Morocco and Denmark and reaffirmed their strategic importance. They discussed common ambitions aimed at further strengthening this partnership for the mutual benefit of the economic growth and development of both countries. Ministers agreed, in particular, to strengthen cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, migration and development.
Ministers identified a number of key sectors of particular interest in the areas of renewable energy, water technology and logistics. They also discussed the need to strengthen regular political consultations. Denmark underlined the importance of its bilateral partnership with Morocco, as a pole of stability and a relay for growth and development in the region and in Africa in general.
In this context, the two ministers discussed Denmark’s strategy for engagement in Africa, “Africa’s Century”, launched by the Danish government in August 2024, and the “Royal Initiative to enable access to “Atlantic Ocean for the Sahel States” launched by His Majesty King Mohammed VI in November 2023. The two ministers agreed to continue discussions on these initiatives relating to Africa (see box).
Autonomy plan
Diplomacy
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Living Abroad, Nasser Bourita, met in New York with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
In the joint communiqué adopted at the end of this meeting, “Denmark considers the Autonomy Plan presented by Morocco in 2007 as a serious and credible contribution to the ongoing UN process and as a good basis for a solution agreed between the parties.
In this joint statement, the two ministers reaffirmed their support for the process led by the United Nations and for the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, as well as his efforts to achieve a peaceful and mutually acceptable solution to the conflict, in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions. This new position of Denmark is part of the international dynamic driven by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, in support of the autonomy plan and the sovereignty of Morocco over its Sahara. It confirms a basic trend in Europe, in all regions of the European continent. Note, moreover, that Salma Benaziz, the president of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, National Defense, Islamic Affairs and Moroccans Living Abroad (MRE), met last September with a delegation from the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Danish Parliament. On this occasion, Ms. Benaziz underlined that the visit of the Danish parliamentary delegation demonstrates the desire of the two countries to strengthen their cooperation and raise the level of their privileged diplomatic relations. For their part, members of the Danish parliamentary delegation indicated that this visit, which is part of Denmark’s new strategy in Africa, aims to strengthen cooperation between the two nations and to exchange expertise and experiences. in various fields. During this meeting, which was attended by the Danish ambassador to Morocco, members of the Danish delegation presented the main bills currently in progress in the Danish Parliament, while giving an overview of their country’s experience in the field of renewable energies.
