Head of Government Holds Talks with EBRD President

Major development projects initiated by Morocco, under the enlightened leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, were the focus of talks held here on Thursday between Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch and President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Odile Renaud-Basso. The discussions, attended by Minister of Economy and Finance Nadia Fettah, were an opportunity to welcome the choice of Morocco to host the 5th Africa Investment Forum (AIF), placed under the High Patronage of HM King Mohammed VI, and held on December 4-6 in Rabat with the participation of major players to facilitate the financing and implementation of development projects on the African continent, according to a press release from the Office of the Head of Government. On this occasion, Akhannouch welcomed EBRD’s dynamic approach to supporting infrastructure projects and accelerating energy transition in Morocco, in line with the enlightened vision of HM King Mohammed VI. He emphasized the importance of developing a new strategy linking Morocco to the EBRD for the 2024-2029 period, with a view to supporting green economy projects in the Kingdom, bolstering the competitiveness of the private sector, reinforcing social cohesion and reducing spatial disparities. For her part, Renaud-Basso pointed out that the EBRD has substantial investments in Morocco worth over €400 million this year, focusing mainly on energy transition, carbon-neutral sectors, women’s integration and the digitization of the economy, stressing that the Bank’s priorities fall in line with the Kingdom’s growth priorities.    The two officials also reviewed cooperative relations between Morocco and the EBRD, the Kingdom having become a deployment area for the Bank’s operations in 2012, and having since benefited from investments worth €4.74 billion, 77% of which is aimed at financing the private sector.