Rabat – Agricultural products represent 77 percent of Moroccan exports to Russia, estimated at MAD 1.5 billion.
The figure was presented by Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forestry, Aziz Akhannouch on Thursday in Rabat.
He was speaking at a business breakfast devoted to strengthening trade and economic relations between Morocco and Russia, particularly in priority sectors. Akhannouch said that citrus fruits top agricultural exports, followed by other fruits and vegetables. He noted that since 2014, the growth of trade between the two countries is in the order of 10 percent.
However, he went on to say, economic aspiration has not yet matched political aspiration. Hence there is a need for economic operators to move forward in promoting Moroccan-Russian trade, especially after the royal visit to Russia which has paved the way for even stronger and more diversified bilateral cooperation.
Akhannouch called on economic operators to develop marketing networks to better understand the Russian market. He also highlighted the importance of creating the “Green Corridor” which will make this market more accessible, especially with the customs facilities offered by the two countries.
For his part, the Russian minister of agriculture, Dmitry Patrushev, presented the various aspects of economic cooperation. He referred in particular to the joint ventures in the production of fruits and vegetables, red meat, and water.
He also highlighted Morocco’s economic assets with an exceptional openness to the African continent, and expressed the interest shown by Russian investors in partnership with the kingdom.
The meeting was held as part of a mission to Morocco by the Russian Export Centre (REC) group of companies, carried out on the occasion of the 7th Moroccan-Russian Joint Intergovernmental Commission for Economic, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation.
