2024-07-13 02:11:19
This position was expressed through a Motion signed by 37 Senators and 14 Federal Deputies and addressed to the Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira.
This motion is all the more important because it is supported by the entire Brazilian political spectrum, including the majority leaders in both houses of Congress, respectively Senator Jacques Wagner and Deputy Carlos Bacelar.
“We are convinced that the time is right to transform the relationship between our two countries into a multifaceted strategic partnership, which is at the forefront of a new geo-economic correlation between the two shores of the South Atlantic, serving as a model for the new ambition that Brazil wants to implement with Africa,” the motion reads.
The signatories affirm that this call for a consolidated strategic partnership with the Kingdom is “justified by Morocco’s competitive position in international maritime and air logistics, based on the promotion of a complex network of free trade agreements”, noting that Morocco “is increasingly attractive in terms of international investments, particularly in the automotive, aeronautics and renewable energy sectors”.
In the eyes of the signatories of the motion, initiated by the Brazil-Morocco friendship group in the Brazilian Congress, chaired by Senator Hiran Gonçalves, this dynamic of the Kingdom is also reflected in the diplomatic sphere, since Morocco has organized various international events, including COP22 in 2016, the Alliance of Civilizations in 2022 and the Annual Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank in 2023.
Noting that Morocco will attract more than 13 million tourists this year, the signatories of the motion did not fail to emphasize that in 2030, Morocco will host, with Spain and Portugal, the 2030 Football World Cup.
The Motion also highlights that the volume of bilateral trade between Brazil and Morocco in 2022 has exceeded 3 billion dollars, double the amount of trade between the two countries recorded in 2017.
Likewise, the same document adds, Brazilian defense industry companies are negotiating very promising projects with Morocco and the Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP) has committed to building fertilizer plants in northern Brazil.
In the same vein, the Brazilian aircraft construction company “Embraer” is negotiating ambitious contracts with Moroccan airlines and the Moroccan company “Green Energy Park” (GEP) has just signed a letter of intent with the State of Piaui (northeast) to build a green hydrogen park, with an investment of 50 billion reals to initially produce 5 GW of green ammonia per year.
On another note, the company “Royal Air Maroc” is preparing to resume the Casablanca-Sao Paulo route and the Moroccan National Tourism Office (ONMT) will open a commercial office in Sao Paulo in January 2024, which will increase tourist flows between the two countries.
Furthermore, the legal framework between the two countries “is rapidly developing to cover key sectors such as national defense, investment facilitation, judicial cooperation in civil and criminal matters, protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, customs cooperation and avoidance of double taxation.”
Likewise, Brazil/Morocco technical cooperation covers vital areas such as climate, oceanography, green hydrogen, e-government and agricultural research.
“In the multilateral sphere,” notes the Motion, “the convergence between Brazilian and Moroccan diplomacy is expressed in multilateral forums, mainly on the themes of climate change and biodiversity, human rights and international trade.”
Addressing the future of this partnership between Morocco and Brazil, the signatories of the Motion believe that it must be structured around four fundamental pillars.
First, food security, with the presence of OCP in Brazil, which is not only commercial, but has a dual industrial and scientific component (…) in order to advance agricultural research.
In this regard, Brazilian exports of agricultural products exceeded 1.2 billion dollars last year, double the amount of the previous year.
The Motion notes that beyond Morocco, Brazilian agro-industry will be able to extend its exports to other countries with which Morocco has concluded free trade agreements (European Union, United States, Gulf countries, Africa).
Second, maritime connectivity. The Motion notes in this regard that the port of Tangier-Med is positioned as a very competitive logistics hub for the Brazilian agro-industry. It offers a logistics platform connected to 183 ports worldwide, with a processing capacity of nine million tons.
Third, the Morocco-Brazil-Africa synergy. In this area, Morocco has developed a multifaceted strategy in Africa. In addition to the Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline, food security occupies a central place in Morocco’s African policy, thanks to OCP investments in several African countries.
Fourth, the South Atlantic, which is a geopolitical area that “offers great commercial, logistical and economic opportunities.”
In this regard, “Brazil and Morocco, with coastlines of 7,400 km and 2,900 km respectively, have the potential to promote their own strategic identity for the South Atlantic, simultaneously addressing issues of security, maritime connectivity, ocean economy and sustainable fisheries,” concludes the Motion of the Brazilian Senators and Deputies.
2024-07-13 02:11:19