Honourable Ministers

Mr. Jose Fernandez, Assistant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy and Business Affairs

Distinguished business CEOs, Entrepreneurs, and Enterprises representatives

Honourable Assistance

Ladies and gentlemen,

 

It is with great pleasure and satisfaction that I join you today for the opening ceremony of this Conference and to follow the work of panels which will take place in this first Conference ever organized on the development of trade between Morocco and the United States of America, dedicated to enhance our continuous process and efforts in strengthening multiple and diverse relations of common interest between our two nations.

This Conference, the panels programmed today as well as the constructive meetings between business leaders, which will take place in this forum, are far-reaching steps in the process of closer relations between our two economic sectors. These relations bring into reality the vision of both the Moroccan and American administrations aiming at giving stronger impetus to bilateral trade and at establishing a framework and environment more conducive for U.S. companies willing to invest in Morocco, and make mutual overall increased profit by taking together advantage from the geostrategic positioning of Morocco as a platform for production and export to markets in the region.

This comes as a result of the work over several years, based on a range of agreements and frameworks of bilateral cooperation, culminated by the US-Morocco Free Trade Agreement, Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact Agreement, Morocco Atlantic Bridge Initiative, and finally the Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of a Strategic Partnership between our two countries….

Morocco, having supported and enhanced the U.S. North Africa Partnership for Economic Opportunity (NAPEO) has been playing a leading role in the region of Middle East and North Africa in seeking to improve understanding, communication, and cooperation with the United States, and that since 1777, when Morocco was the first country to recognize the United states, which is a clear signal of the quality of relations between our two countries.

This role is also consistent withMorocco’s desire, as expressed by His Majesty the King, to give a stronger impetus to our economic diplomacy with particular attention to pragmatic approaches, efficient policies and tangible results. The presence today in Washington D.C, of this important delegation of Moroccan government officials and CEOs of major companies is a vibrant illustration of our commitment.

This vision reinforces the privileged international position of Morocco in favour of a successful diplomacy, proactive and constantly focusing on the future, which comes under the axes included in the Memorandum of Understanding for a Strategic Partnership, characterized by mutual respect and trust, and adherence to the ideals of peace, justice and democracy.

The Moroccan delegation, alongside Members of the Government and heads of Departments representing the most important sectors of our economy, such as Industry, Trade and New Technologies, Agriculture and Fisheries, have come to deliver strong speeches in connection with business opportunities and investments in Morocco. You will have the opportunity to directly share, discuss and, I hope, launch proposals during the four panels devoted to aeronautics, the automotive sector, the agriculture and agri-business and energy, for a further enhanced cooperation in terms of investment and business opportunities.

The sectoral development plans that will be show-cased today, reflect the strategy for each sector, define the commitments of the Moroccan public administration and clarify the scope of private sector involvement with the details of the initiated projects in which the enterprises are willing to invest, in a vision of win-win partnership.

I would like, foremost, to share with you my enthusiasm and optimism about the future actions that will result from the work and discussions of the various panels and the future actions that we expect will follow this meeting, actions on both sides with the objective of mutually profitable partnerships and joint ventures, actions that will enhance the economic, commercial and financial ties and partnership, as proposed by the Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Partnership that I have just mentioned.

Our clear objective is to increaseU.S.investment inMoroccoand involveU.S.companies in the dynamic growth in our country. In fact,Moroccohas shown remarkable and recognized resilience to the economic crises that have affected the world in general, and our region and our partners in particular. Our goal in this Forum is mainly to:

 

– Deploy promotion actions aiming at the U.S. market in order to better benefit from the opportunities offered by the U.S. – Morocco Free Trade Agreement and promote our products and services in the world’s largest economy that are the United States,

– Take more equitably, a fair market share that would justify and give the right meaning to such an Agreement, that is to say, to achieve a more balanced trade through the F T A.

–   Propose to our American partners to take advantage from all investment opportunities offered byMorocco, in the major projects launched at national level, which we often refer to as growth engines.

– Exploit, together, the opportunities offered by the geostrategic position of Morocco in the context of a regional integration on which we are working with determination and confidence. This region in which Morocco is rooted historically, culturally, and henceforth, economically, is poised for an unprecedented economic growth and development, offers important business opportunities that, surely will be of great interest to your enterprises.

It should be emphasized, last but not least, thatMoroccohas demonstrated its ability to effectively deal, in anticipation, with political, social and economic turmoil, factors that have shaken many of our neighbors and its ability to implement political and economic reforms necessary to maintain an economic growth generating employment and providing social and political stability.

It is in these dynamic aspects that I expect to see you involved, and this will mark, I believe, the beginning of a Strategic Partnership, in which the private sectors will play a prominent role for the progress and prosperity of our two peoples. I would like to invite you to, not only be one of the major trading partners of our country, but to take together full advantage of the opportunities available to us in the northern and western Africa regions which are, nowadays, experiencing an unprecedented growth and development and where our companies and your companies have enormous opportunities to take.

The different panels programmed today, will convey to you, in details, sector by sector, the decisive steps towards progress and development made by Morocco over the whole of its territory, in each and every region and province, from south to north of the country.

Let me thank you again for your presence today and your interest in Morocco.

I wish you a very successful and profitable day.