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“We have so much in common. Two great Nations, two great peoples, who exercise their leadership, one on the African continent, and the other on the European continent,” declared Bruno Le Maire, French Minister of the Economy , finance and industrial and digital sovereignty, during the Morocco-France Economic Forum, organized this Friday, April 26, 2024 in Rabat.
“A language that we have in common, a culture that intersects, the same taste for landscapes, the subtlety of detail, the same attachment to the environment, the same desire to decarbonize our economy, and the same attachment to the agricultural and industrial vocation of our two Nations”.
“We have so much to learn from each other. As Minister of the Economy, I am would dream of having 50% women engineers in France ; You have them, well done!”
Priority to carbon-free energy
“We must now move forward, quickly and strongly, in the economic, financial and industrial fields,” he continued. “The world is in complete upheaval. The world after Covid will not be the one we knew before. Geopolitics has changed, value chains are reorganizing, great powers are reorganizing themselves such as the United States and China. What are our strategic choices, on this side of the Mediterranean and on the other?”
“We, in France, have made strategic choices, such as strengthening our economic ties with the Moroccan people, and with Morocco. We want to do it in a certain number of areas that I am opening as guidance, but which are only proposals that can be completed.”
“The first is that of carbon-free energy. Nations that are independent in terms of carbon-free energy will be the big winners of the 21st century. Morocco and France are destined to be the great winners of the 21st century,” he stressed.
Soon a project between IRESEN and SATT on carbon-free hydrogen
“We also want to work together in solar energy. You have a geographical position conducive to the development of photovoltaic panels over thousands of hectares. We have made the choice, with the President of the Republic, to develop a photovoltaic panel production sector in France, with advanced technologies and recyclable panels. Let’s combine our know-how to work together in this area.”
“We also want to work together in wind power et in hydrogen. I am announcing to you that we are going to launch a project between IRESEN (Solar Energy and New Energies Research Institute) and the SATT accelerator at Paris-Saclay, to develop applied research and innovation on decarbonized hydrogenon the basis of a partnership between France and Morocco.
Hydrogen, decarbonization and green investment: 350 million euros for OCP
“I also announce that the AFD (French Development Agency) will release 350 million euros for the OCP group, so that the latter can invest massively in hydrogendecarbonization, and in green investment”.
“Moreover, one of the major energy challenges that is often forgotten is the cost of energy networks and energy transport”, he pointed out. “You are going to produce energy in Dakhla, and you need it in Casablanca. You are going to build electrical networks to transport this energy between Dakhla and Casablanca, and we are ready to participate in financing this infrastructure.”
Towards cooperation in the production of nuclear energy?
“Finally, I would like to point out that I also put on the table possible cooperation in the field of nuclear energy production. At the request of the president [français, ndlr]we are working on these famous SMRs, smaller modular reactors. It is up to the Moroccan government to decide whether it may be interested in this cooperation. It is obviously a sovereign choice of the Moroccan people, and of the Moroccan government, but I express our availability to work on this nuclear energy sector with our Moroccan partner. I don’t think we can give a stronger guarantee to build a strategic partnership with Morocco.”
Bruno Le Maire also mentioned a second series of subjects, on which “we could continue to move forward, because there are already great achievements. These include in particular railway, of aeronautics and of automobile industry”. In this last sector, “there are already some great achievements. There are also possible cooperations, particularly in the field of electric vehicle and battery, where France has chosen to build an independent subsidiary, with knowledge and technologies on which we can work together.
France wants to participate in the preparation of the 2030 World Cup
“There are also three other elements on which we can work together. The first, the most festive and exciting, is that of 2030 World Cup. You will build the largest football stadium on the planet [le Grand Stade de Casablanca, ndlr]. This is a dream and attracts many investors in the fields of construction, events, geolocation, hotels and restaurants… I would like us to put in place a Franco-Moroccan working group to work together in the preparation of this event, on its economic aspect”.
“The second element is that financial investments. You have created an investment fund, the Mohammed VI Fund, and I hope that the BPI can work in a close partnership with this sovereign fund of Morocco. I think it will open up new perspectives.”
Furthermore, “let’s not limit our partnerships to training, qualification, major projects and very large companies. SMEs constitute the living fabric of the French economy and the Moroccan economy. They must work hand in hand and increase exchanges,” he concluded.
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