Speaking at the end of a bilateral meeting, Riester welcomed the solid partnership between Morocco and France, as evidenced by the trade exchanges and the deep ties between the economic fabrics of the two countries, adding that this partnership should cover beyond the traditional professions, the future-oriented sectors which allow the decarbonization of the economy such as renewable energies, sustainable cities or even Smart Cities.
It is also about targeting new technologies, a sector which is becoming of growing interest in Morocco, he said, calling for working together to develop partnerships in Africa, given the privileged location of the Kingdom.
Riester, who chose Morocco for his first trip outside the European Union (EU), expressed his wish to increase trade between the two countries.
He also noted that the health crisis should not slow down this economic dynamic, adding that "we must continue to live and do business despite these circumstances".
For his part, Alj said that "we can go even further, in particular by establishing more synergies between our respective VSE-SMEs, further encouraging investment and co-investment, strengthening trade and opening up more to the professions of the future such as renewable energies, digital technology and artificial intelligence".
He also recalled the pandemic context where cooperation is fundamental in order to face together existing and emerging global challenges.
This opportunity should be seized by positioning ourselves at the center of new global value chains which are being redrawn, he pointed out.
"If Morocco has reached a certain cruising speed in trades such as automotive, aeronautics, agribusiness, electronics, the advent of the pandemic challenges us, as everywhere else, with its share of challenges that are certainly huge but which our country intends to transform into opportunities”, he added.
France is Morocco's second largest trade partner and the first foreign direct investor in the Kingdom over the past 15 years. Nearly a thousand French companies operate in the Kingdom employing nearly 100,000 people.