2024-04-20 12:54:47
Marked by the participation of representatives of the Chinese government and numerous Moroccan and Chinese companies, the meeting was an opportunity to comb through the enormous potential for cooperation that exists between the two countries in this area, with an emphasis on fruit sector where Morocco has a comparative advantage in the vast market of the Asian giant.
In a speech on this occasion, the Moroccan ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, Abdelkader El Ansari, placed the meeting in the context of the relations of friendship and cooperation that have always existed between Rabat and Beijing.
In this regard, he recalled the state visit made by His Majesty King Mohammed VI to China in 2016, a visit which marked the establishment of a strategic partnership between the Kingdom and China.
This partnership, in particular its economic and commercial aspect, is of particular importance, as evidenced by the numerous cooperation agreements concluded between the two countries, said the ambassador, recalling that Morocco was among the first Arab countries to conclude a cooperation agreement with China within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.
The agricultural sector, in which Morocco continues to make notable advances thanks to a continuous modernization process, offers vast opportunities to be explored and exploited by operators from both countries, said Mr. El Ansari, stressing that strengthening cooperation between Morocco and China is necessary in the context of efforts to strengthen food security.
Achieving this objective, according to the ambassador, requires intensifying exchanges in specific sectors before extending this cooperation to other equally promising segments, including modernization, mechanization, digitalization and training.
After displaying to the participants the important steps taken by Morocco in the field of development of its agricultural sector, notably through the strengthening of openness and foreign investments, the ambassador noted that the ground is now marked out for win-win and greater Sino-Moroccan agricultural cooperation.
Wednesday’s meeting is part of this perspective, noted Mr. El Ansari, calling for a strengthening of exchanges of visits between professionals in the sector in order to reflect the will of the governments of the two countries.
For his part, Zhang Lubiao, director general of the Chinese Center for Foreign Economic Cooperation, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, welcomed the holding of the meeting, which he said was a said, in the wake of the efforts made on both sides to strengthen cooperative relations between China and Morocco within the framework of the bilateral and continental partnership.
The consolidation of Sino-Moroccan economic cooperation is only the manifestation of the historic friendly relations which link the two countries, he said, recalling the Chinese investments launched in several areas in Morocco.
In view of Morocco’s enormous potential, the agricultural sector is called upon to occupy its rightful place in the context of the Sino-Moroccan partnership, he indicated, highlighting, in this context, the Chinese enthusiasm for Moroccan agricultural products, particularly citrus fruits, known for their undeniable quality.
It is in this perspective that the visit made last year to Morocco by the Chinese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tang Renjian, took place, during which the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at promote mutually beneficial cooperation in agriculture and maritime fisheries, Zhang said.
The official invited professionals from both countries to take advantage of this institutional framework to raise agricultural cooperation to the desired levels through the conclusion of concrete agreements.
Participants in the meeting subsequently received presentations on Moroccan agricultural potential, particularly in the fruit segment, as well as on the advantages that Morocco offers in this area.
B2B meetings were organized during the event, with Chinese operators expressing keen interest in the Moroccan offer, and saying they were ready to work, with their Moroccan counterparts, to realize the vast opportunities available to the two friendly countries. .
The Moroccan delegation during this meeting was notably composed of the director general of the Moroccan National Food Safety Office, Abdallah Janati, the general director of FOODEX, Ghita El Ghorfi, and several other professionals in the sector.
2024-04-20 12:54:47