The economic partnership between Morocco and France is solid and forward-looking, said Nadia Fettah, Minister of the Economy and Finance, in Rabat on Tuesday. «The positive dynamic between the two countries testifies to the strength of our economic relations and to a shared desire to go even further», said Fettah at the opening of the Morocco-France entrepreneurial meeting dedicated to strategic sectors of the future. «We want to intensify our projects, particularly in forward-looking sectors such as information technology, sustainable mobility, agribusiness, and health», she continued, noting that France is already a leading partner in key sectors, including automotive, aeronautics, energy, and infrastructure. These sectoral achievements demonstrate that «our partnership is not just an economic endeavor, but also an industrial success that reflects our shared ambition», Fettah pointed out. The Minister emphasized that the vision of both parties goes beyond the borders of the two countries. «With France, we have a unique opportunity to build a new model of economic cooperation based on 'coopetition'—cooperation with healthy competition». At the same time, Fettah recalled that Morocco has always had a strong ambition for Africa, reaffirming the conviction that «the future of our nations also plays out on the African continent». She highlighted Africa's assets and the «extraordinary» potential of African businesses, stating that this dimension enables the exemplary partnership and win-win economic cooperation between Morocco and France to serve as a model for building and strengthening the Euro-African space on solid, healthy, and lasting foundations. Trade between Morocco and France reached 163.1 billion dirhams (MMDH) in 2023, up 2.8% from 2022 and 34% from 2019. France is Morocco's second-largest trading partner, accounting for 14.2% of total trade, and ranks second as a customer (20.3%) and third as a supplier (10.6%). In terms of foreign direct investment (FDI), France invested 11.3 billion dirhams in Morocco by 2023, while Moroccan investment in France reached a record level of 15.1 MMDH, an increase of 28% over the previous year. Additionally, around 1,300 subsidiaries of French companies are established in Morocco, making the country the leading African destination for French FDI. This meeting was co-organized by the Confédération Générale des Entreprises du Maroc (CGEM) and the Mouvement des Entreprises de France (MEDEF) via the Club des Chefs d'Entreprises France-Maroc.
