Rabat – Morocco’s ties with the UK are continuing to expand, with venues of cooperation growing beyond trade in every direction, creating an ever stronger and wider foundation between the two countries, said Simon Martin, UK Ambassador to Morocco.
“We’re delighted to see the way in which our relationship is expanding,” Martin told Morocco World News (MWN) in an interview on the sidelines of BritCham’s 100th anniversary celebrations in Morocco.
Operating in Morocco since 1923, the British Chamber of Commerce (BritCham) in Morocco has been working to promote trade between the two countries by supporting companies navigating the two markets.
Noting the significant progress made in diplomacy between Morocco and the UK, Martin said that the two countries have seen “extraordinary development in recent years in terms of trade, the number of visitors from both sides, as well as in terms of education, energy, and culture.”
The diplomat further expressed confidence that this very positive trend should continue in the future,” thanks to the “firm support of both governments.”
When asked to comment on the recent developments in Morocco in the wake of the devastating September 8 earthquake, Martin expressed his confidence in Marrakech’s potential to bounce back.
“Marrakech obviously is the unofficial capital of tourism in Morocco, but it’s also an enormous center of international conferences. And the very fact that the World Bank and the IMF are continuing with their autumn meetings there next week, this is the first time in 50 years that Africa has hosted these meetings. It’s a sign of confidence. So yes, there has been some damage to buildings in Marrakech,” he said.
According to the UK diplomat, “there’s a very responsible attitude taken with the local authorities carrying out structural inspections and identifying which buildings have to be repaired and which are fine to continue.”
“So we’re seeing the tourism sector building back. It’s really important for the economy. Yes, you have to be responsible and ensure that where you’re staying is safe,” he added.
The British diplomat asserted that the sought-after Moroccan city is already “coming back again,” stressing: “I’m sure that the World Bank and IMF meetings will give that further vote of confidence.” Trade between Morocco and the UK has grown steadily over the past few years. At the end of 2022, trade volume between the two countries amounted to $3.6 billion.
Beyond trade, Morocco-UK economic ties reached a new milestone with the Xlinks project, an ambitious $24.5 billion plan to harness solar and wind power from Morocco’s Southern region and transmit it to the UK via the world’s longest subsea.
The project was recently designated by the UK government as a project of “national significance.”
The designation is expected to streamline the planning and approval process for the project, which is expected to supply electricity to over 7 million homes in the UK, satisfying approximately 8% of the nation’s power needs.
Source : MoroccoWorldNews
