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Rabat – Morocco and France have strengthened bilateral bonds in the agricultural sector, signing two agreements in Ifrane to consolidate their partnership.
The two countries seek to strengthen cooperation in the fields of public policy, research, and training, as well as irrigation and land development.
The cooperation between the two countries will also cover the sanitary and phytosanitary fields, the development of agricultural and agri-food production sectors and cooperation in the strengthening of agricultural and fisheries interprofessional organizations.
The one-year cooperation will include information and expertise exchange. The agreement also institutes a framework for transparent and constructive dialogue on Morocco-France relations within the European market in view of a better integration of Morocco into the mechanisms governing the European fruit and vegetable market.
The agreements were signed in the presence of Moroccan Agriculture Minister Aziz Akhannouch and his French counterpart Stéphane Travert.
France is “a strategic partner that has important trade relations with Morocco, particularly in the sector of agriculture,” Akhannouch told the press. He added that the two countries share experiences, particularly in the areas of training and research.
The French minister will also take part in the International Agriculture Fair (SIAM 2018), which will kick off on April 24-28 in Meknes. The fair is “the biggest African event of its kind” the minister told the press following his talks with Akhannouch.
The agreement was signed by the General Director of the Autonomous Establishment of Export Control and Coordination (EACCE), Abir Lamseffer, the President of the Moroccan Interprofessional Federation for the Production and Export of Fruits and Vegetables (FIFEL), Lahoucine Adardour, and the President of the “Maroc Citrus” Federation, Moulay Mhamed Loultiti. Christine Avelin, General Manager of Agricultural and Seafood Establishment (FranceAgriMer) and Bruno Dupot, President of the French Franchise and Fruit Trade, were also in attendance at the signing.
