Portuguese Top Official Hails Morocco’s Role as “Gateway to Africa” for Portuguese Operators

Portugal’s Secretary of State for the Economy, João Rui Ferreira, underlined, on Thursday in Rabat, Morocco’s role as a gateway for Portuguese operators in Africa. “Morocco offers the possibility of integrating either the African Union (AU) or the French-speaking world,” said Ferreira at the opening of a Morocco-Portugal economic meeting under the theme ‘Portugal-Morocco: Building the future in partnership’, adding that Morocco’s strategic position also allows to explore complementary opportunities in value chains linked to energy, logistics and skills development. He also expressed his country’s desire to strengthen its collaboration with Morocco, through a dynamic partnership between Portuguese and Moroccan companies, and the acceleration of joint projects. For his part, the Minister of Industry and Trade, Ryad Mezzour spoke of the 2030 Football World Cup organization in Morocco, Portugal and Spain, underlining that it represents an opportunity to strengthen ties, improve communication and promote integration in the economic, energy and logistics sectors. Mezzour noted, in this regard, that Morocco, which is undergoing rapid transformation and emergence in several industrial sectors, stands out for its growing competitiveness, which is comparable, if not superior, on an international scale, and that there is a real opportunity to develop joint production capacities. He also stressed the strong interest shown by Portuguese companies in investing in Morocco, sharing a common conviction in strengthening bilateral relations as part of the ongoing global transformation. On the sidelines of this meeting, Mezzour and Ferreira discussed ways of developing the economic partnership between the two countries, highlighting opportunities to increase the insertion rate and promote bilateral investment. Initiated by Portugal’s Investment and Foreign Trade Agency (AICEP), in partnership with the Moroccan General Confederation of Enterprises (CGEM) and the Portuguese Confederation of Companies (CIP), this one-day event featured a panel discussion on investment and partnership opportunities in the infrastructure and construction, mobility, transport and telecommunications sectors, as well as B2B meeting sessions.