France Seeks to Boost Economic Ties, Attract More Moroccan Investment

After a tour that took him to the Moroccan authorities in charge of trade and the premises of Moroccan business leaders, the minister took stock of his visit, reports the MAP.

At the press conference, Riester reassured about the good health of bilateral relations between his country and Morocco, stating that Morocco is ready to boost trade cooperation with France.

In this regard, the minister stressed the need for Moroccan investors to explore the new opportunities of the French market. "I insist on France’s willingness to welcome more Moroccan investors in France, especially since it is currently considered the most attractive country in Europe in terms of investment," he emphasized.

France has hosted the largest number of foreign investment projects on its soil between 2019 and 2020, ahead of Germany and the United Kingdom, he continued, adding that "it is the time to invest in France and choose France for investments in Europe".

French business leaders and investors "are called upon to work with their Moroccan counterparts in a multitude of partnerships for the future in various fields," he said.

Furthermore, Riester stressed that it is necessary to "rethink" supply chains and value chains and diversify suppliers in favor of neighboring countries, in this case Morocco, which, he said, has a "quite crucial" role to play.

"We have been able to make very productive win-win partnerships in the automotive and aerospace sectors, and it would be wise to look at other sectors, such as renewable energies, particularly wind, solar or hydrogen, in addition to the transport and agri-food sectors, which are already the subject of several successful partnerships," the delegate minister noted.

Regarding the thorny issue of visas, the minister indicated that France had been "obliged" to reduce these visas, but wishes to "return to the pre-Covid situation" in this matter.