The President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Odile Renaud-Basso, will visit Morocco from December 4 to 6. During her visit, she will engage with government officials and private sector representatives and participate in the Africa Investment Forum (AIF), according to an EBRD press release issued on Tuesday. At the AIF, Renaud-Basso is scheduled to meet Leila Benali, Morocco's Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, to discuss investment opportunities across Africa. Additionally, she will hold talks with Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank, focusing on the significance of collaboration between the two institutions, particularly in light of the EBRD's expansion into sub-Saharan Africa. Renaud-Basso's agenda in Morocco includes meetings with several key figures: Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch, Minister of Economy and Finance and EBRD Governor Nadia Fettah Alaoui, Central Bank Governor Abdellatif Jouahri, and Chakib Alj, President of the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM). She will also sign a series of new investment agreements spanning various sectors of the Moroccan economy. Our @OdileRenaud will visit Morocco on 4-6 December to meet government and business leaders, attend the Africa Investment Forum, and sign new investment agreements to boost economic growth and green initiatives.https://t.co/QwMMPPzD70 pic.twitter.com/GYOL6XVvaM — The EBRD (@EBRD) December 3, 2024 «We are committed to scaling up our engagement in Morocco to support economic growth, regional integration, and green economy potential, while fostering equality of opportunity, particularly addressing youth unemployment and gender issues», said Renaud-Basso ahead of her visit. She also praised Morocco's progress in structural reforms, stating, «We commend the Moroccan authorities for their commitment to and progress on structural reforms across a number of sectors, particularly state-owned enterprise modernization and the green transition by opening up renewables and green fuels to private investors». Morocco, a founding member of the EBRD, became an investee economy in 2012. To date, the Bank has invested close to €5 billion in the country through 106 projects, with over 77% of these investments directed toward the private sector. Furthermore, the EBRD has provided EU-funded advisory support to more than 1,000 small and medium-sized enterprises.
