2024-08-01 08:03:51
In this regard, the Minister Delegate to the Minister of Economy and Finance, in charge of the Budget, Mr. Faouzi Lakjaa, stressed, in a statement to the press, that the visit of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to the State of the United Arab Emirates gives a strong boost to bilateral cooperation in several sectors.
He added that the signed agreements “have a strategic dimension due to their geographical scope, as they go beyond the framework of bilateral cooperation between the State of the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Morocco to include many African countries and projects of interest to the European continent in the future.”
Mr. Lakjaa noted that “the strategic and global dimension, as well as the developmental and proactive dimension, reflect the wisdom and insight of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, alongside His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Ben Zayed Al-Nahyane”, describing the royal visit to the United Arab Emirates as “exceptional in all respects”.
For his part, the Minister of Equipment and Water, Mr. Nizar Baraka, stressed that the signed memoranda of understanding also cover a dimension mainly linked to infrastructure, particularly in terms of water security, given that this memorandum of understanding will give rise to new generation investments mainly relating to water desalination, “which is a very important and ambitious program for Morocco.”
Mr. Baraka mentioned another memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries and relating to ports, stressing that Morocco has granted, in accordance with high royal directives, a special status to major ports which have a strategic dimension, adding that Morocco now has the port of Nador West Med and the Atlantic port of Dakhla, which will benefit from investments from the State of the United Arab Emirates.
He noted that these ports will strengthen Morocco’s position at the regional and international levels, whether in the field of sustainable development or international security and interconnection.
The Director General of the National Railways Office (ONCF), Mr. Mohamed Rabia Khlie, for his part, stressed that the high-speed line project between Kenitra and Marrakech is of particular importance, within the framework of the signing of the Declaration of Partnership between the leaders of the two brotherly countries, His Majesty King Mohammed VI and the President of the State of the United Arab Emirates.
He added that this ambitious and innovative partnership will allow the creation of an innovative financial structure for the implementation of this line, which will connect Tangier and Marrakech in a period not exceeding three hours, including 01H00 between Tangier and Rabat and 1H35 between Tangier and Casablanca.
This line will also allow, adds Mr. Khlie, the creation of 70 million working days and 3,700 permanent jobs during the works.
The Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Ms. Leila Benali, noted that the partnership signed in the energy sector between the Kingdom of Morocco and the State of the United Arab Emirates gives a strong boost to private investments in this area.
Ms. Benali added that the signing of this agreement constitutes an opportunity to enshrine the national energy transition strategy, noting that the strategic dimension of this agreement confirms the insightful vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI alongside the President of the State of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Ben Zayed Al-Nahyane.
She indicated that Morocco seeks to promote a new generation of bilateral cooperation and long-term investments in the field of energy, stressing that this agreement will also strengthen resilience in the face of the various crises facing the world.
The Director General of the Mohammed VI Fund for Investment, Mohamed Benchaâboun, affirmed that the Fund will play a central role in the implementation of the memoranda of understanding signed before His Majesty King Mohammed VI and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Ben Zayed Al-Nahyane.
Mr. Benchaâboun added that the Fund will look into the financial structure of the projects that are the subject of the memoranda of understanding and will also work closely with Emirati partners to find the best way to implement these projects in the near future in the sectors of transport, airports, water and energy.
2024-08-01 08:03:51