Rabat: Means to bolster industrial and trade cooperation between Morocco and Senegal were the topic of talks held Monday in Rabat between Minister of Industry and Trade Ryad Mezzour and his Senegalese peer Serigne Gueye Diop. Discussions, part of the 15th Morocco-Senegal High Joint Partnership Commission, enabled the two parties to agree on a new roadmap covering several areas of partnership, including standardization, industrial zones, and capacity building.

According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, Gueye Diop highlighted the historical depth of relations between Senegal and Morocco, noting that exchanges focused on the main areas of industrial cooperation, in a context marked by Senegal’s entry into a new era linked to the development of the oil and gas sectors, as well as the deployment of agro-industrial zones and special economic zones. He thus expressed his country’s willingness to benefit from Morocco’s experience, particularly in terms of industrial infrastructure, business support, upgrading, training, and supervision, specifying that agreements are planned in these areas.

Strengthening cooperation in the field of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is also on the agenda, he said, noting that SMEs account for 97% of Senegal’s economic fabric. To this end, agreements are being considered between the agencies responsible for SMEs in both countries, as well as between upgrading structures, he said. Discussions also focused on tax policies applied to industrial zones and investments, as well as the promotion of bilateral trade, with a particular emphasis on processed and industrialized products.

Gueye Diop also mentioned Senegal’s interest in Morocco’s experience in the field of phosphates, announcing field visits, particularly to the OCP group, in order to draw inspiration from the Moroccan model for exploiting this resource. Finally, he conveyed the Senegalese delegation’s satisfaction with the prospects for cooperation, announcing soon to be sent invitations to Moroccan officials to further discuss and finalize the agreements reached.

For his part, Mezzour stressed that this dynamic is part of the implementation of the High Royal Guidelines, recalling the importance of the Atlantic vision promoted by His Majesty King Mohammed VI in favor of strengthening cooperation and integration between African countries. He also highlighted the two countries’ shared willingness to promote training, skills development, and industrial integration, with a focus on complementarity and South-South cooperation, in line with the major structural projects underway on the African continent.

The 15th Morocco-Senegal High Joint Partnership Commission provides an opportunity to strengthen sectoral cooperation between the two countries through the implementation of structural projects in areas such as agriculture, energy, trade, the digital economy, and others.