MOROCCO: Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy arrives in Morocco to strengthen economic and business ties

Record ID: 838097

  • Title: MOROCCO: Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy arrives in Morocco to strengthen economic and business ties
  • Date: 8th October 2012
  • Summary: SALE, MOROCCO (OCTOBER 3, 2012) (REUTERS) AIRPLANE CARRYING THE SPANISH PRIME MINISTER MARIANO RAJOY ON THE AIRPORT TARMAC WHILE THE MOROCCAN OFFICIALS ARE WAITING SPANISH DELEGATION LEAVING THE AIRPLANE, RAJOY SHAKING HANDS WITH THE AIRPLANE CREW SPANISH FLAG ON THE PLANE RAJOY GREETED BY MOROCCAN PRIME MINISTER ANDELILAH BENKIRANE TWO PRIME MINISTERS SHAKING HANDS THE TWO PRIME MINISTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) NIZAR BARAKA, MOROCCAN FINANCE AND ECONOMY MINISTER SAYING: "This year, Spain became our first trade partner. This shows the strength and enthusiasm of the Spanish businessmen who are working hard to access the Moroccan market. The best proof is the two Spanish companies who won the bid with a Saudi company to build the first major solar power plant in Ouarzazat". MOROCCAN AND SPANISH FLAGS AT THE AIRPORT (SOUNDBITE) (French) YOUSSEF LAMRANI, MOROCCAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER OF STATE SAYING: "We are neighbours with Spain and we are building on what we share to reach a strategic partnership that takes into account our priorities as far as our economic development is concerned. Many agreements will be signed in various sectors such as transport, energy and agriculture. Today, we are building a strong relationship in many fields that is beneficial to both sides." TWO PRIME MINSITERS IN THE VIP LOUNGE WITH THEIR INTERIOR AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTERS MOROCCAN PRIME MINISTER ABDELILAH BENKIRANE TALKING TO HIS SPANISH COUTERPART CLOSE UP OF SAAD EDDINE EL OTHMANI, MOROCCAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER AND M'HANED LANSER, MOROCCAN INTERIOR MINISTER CLOSE UP OF THE SPANISH INTERIOR AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTERS (SOUNDBITE) (French) SPANISH AMBASSADOR TO MOROCCO ALBERTO NAVARRO SAYING: "The crisis is now an opportunity. Businessmen from both Spain and Morocco will be happy to see an agreement on easing visa restrictions. We will also facilitate the exchange of academics between the two countries. It will certainly be a successful meeting and I am sure that the two kingdoms will share a lot of things". RABAT, MOROCCO (OCTOBER 3, 2012) (REUTERS) MEETING BETWEEN MOROCCAN AND SPANISH BUSINESSMEN POSTER FOR THE MEETING BETWEEN MOROCCAN AND SPANISH BUSINESSMEN MOROCCAN AND SPANISH PRIME MINISTERS SITTING AT THE MEETING MIRIEM BENSALEH-CHAQROUN, HEAD OF THE MOROCCAN CONFEDERATION OF BUSINESSMEN MAKING A SPEECH MOROCCAN AND SPANISH MINISTERS SITTING DURING THE MEETING BENKIRANE MAKING HIS SPEECH (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ABDELILAH BENKIRANE, MOROCCAN PRIME MINISTER, SAYING: "I would like to stress here that the Moroccan government is keen to answer all the expectations of everyone involved in business by giving them the best working conditions. By doing so, we will preserve the priority our country is giving to Spanish investors. To reach this objective, we started working in partnership with all economic and social actors to solve all the problems faced by companies and the private sector in general." WIDE OF THE MEETING BETWEEN THE MOROCCAN AND SPANISH BUSINESSMEN THE MOROCCAN MINISTERIAL DELEGATION APPLAUDING RAJOY MAKING HIS SPEECH JUAN ROSELL, CHAIRMAN OF THE CONEDERATION OF SPANISH ENTREPRISES (CEOE) SPANISH DELEGATION MOROCCAN AND SPANISH FLAGS, ASSISTANTS AND THE PODIUM
  • Embargoed: 23rd October 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Morocco
  • City:
  • Country: Morocco
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVACNW1AX2MN4D2RGF4Z807EVSOA
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Despite their historic political differences, a top level Spanish delegation headed by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy arrived on Wednesday (October 3) in Morocco to be greeted by his counterpart Abdelilah Benkirane, accompanied by many of his cabinet ministers.
    The visit marks two decades since the signing of a friendship treaty between the two kingdoms. Rabat and Madrid already have strong social and commercial links and since January, Spain has become Morocco's top economic partner, a spot that was occupied by France for many decades.
    Both Morocco and Spain believe that the prospects for closer cooperation are promising.
    "This year, Spain became our first trade partner. This shows the strength and enthusiasm of the Spanish businessmen who are working hard to access the Moroccan market. The best proof is the two Spanish companies who won the bid with a Saudi company to build the first major solar power plant in Ouarzazat" said Nizar Baraka, Moroccan Finance And Economy Minister.
    His words were echoed by Youssef Lamrani, Foreign affairs minister of State who said the future looked good for better cooperation between the two countries.
    "We are neighbours with Spain and we are building on what we share to reach a strategic partnership that takes into account our priorities as far as our economic development is concerned. Many agreements will be signed in various sectors such as transport, energy and agriculture. Today, we are building a strong relationship in many fields that is beneficial to both sides", he said.
    Spain has around 20,000 small and medium-sized businesses that export to Morocco and is keen to keep its share of the Moroccan market.
    The Spanish ambassador to Morocco Alberto Navarro told Reuters TV ahead of the high level meeting between the two delegations:
    "The crisis is now an opportunity. Businessmen from both Spain and Morocco will be happy to see an agreement on easing visa restrictions. We will also facilitate the exchange of academics between the two countries. It will certainly be a successful meeting and I am sure that the two kingdoms will share a lot of things".
    Morocco has suffered a drop in economic growth over the last year and is looking to diversify its markets and doing all it can to attract foreign investments in a difficult climate.
    Benkirane is trying to woo foreign investors with better trade union relations and radical changes to fight corruption. He told the Spanish businessmen who met their Moroccan counterparts ahead of the high level meeting between the two countries that Rabat will do its best to encourage foreign investments, mainly from Spain, a country that he described as a friendly one.
    "I would like to stress here that the Moroccan government is keen to answer all the expectations of everyone involved in business by giving them the best working conditions. By doing so, we will preserve the priority our country is giving to Spanish investors. To reach this objective, we started working in partnership with all economic and social actors to solve all the problems faced by companies and the private sector in general".
    Rajoy visited Rabat last January on his first visit since taking office and Benkirane returned the visit in May.
    On Tuesday he quashed speculation the country could apply for a bailout as soon as this weekend, but expectations are high that Spain will eventually request aid.
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