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Hungary has pledged to share some of its best water management technologies with Morocco as part of a win-win cooperation agreement.
Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto announced the news today during a visit to Rabat, where he met with Moroccan officials — including Minister of Water Nizar Baraka.
“Hungary has some of the best water management technologies globally, developed in response to its geographical specificities, including the presence of numerous rivers,” he said.
The news comes as the two countries express determination to leverage their expertise in water management to address the growing challenges they both face in this field.
This growing bilateral cooperation is part of a shared vision to tackle the increasingly severe impacts of climate change, Szijjarto argued, noting that “with the acceleration of climate change, our two countries often face extreme situations, ranging from unmanageable water surpluses to severe shortages.”
Most of these challenges can be addressed through the use of appropriate technologies, he added, acknowledging Morocco’s efforts to tackle its water crisis through a water management strategy that focuses on innovative solutions such as wastewater purification and recycling, flood protection, and river pollution control.
As part of this 2030 strategy, Morocco has notably pledged to reinforce efforts to address the water crisis at all levels as the country continues to face severe drought episodes that have devastatingly affected its water reserves and agriculture output.
The extended drought period has significantly impacted the country for the past six years, leading the government to introduce several initiatives to address what both independent observers and government officials have described as an unprecedented and alarming crisis.
Read also: Morocco Set to Cement Status as Hungary’s Leading Economic Partner in Africa
At the same time, several countries have continued to acknowledge Morocco’s commendable efforts to manage its water issues, stressing their determination to adopt some of the measures the Moroccan government has devised to tackle its drought crisis.
While visiting Morocco last month, French President Emmanuel Macron emphatically hailed the North African country’s approach to water management.
“I am very impressed by Morocco’s strategy in adapting its model through water highways and urban desalination projects,” Macron said, describing it as a holistic strategy that “France should take inspiration from.”
Following today’s meeting with his Hungarian counterpart, Minister Baraka said their encounter provided an opportunity to explore potential areas of collaboration with Hungary, which boasts advanced technologies in various domains.
“Our national strategy prioritizes key areas such as water desalination, wastewater treatment, flood protection, and pollution control, particularly river pollution,” said the Moroccan minister.
Szijjarto also met with Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita, reaffirming his country’s determination to expand partnership with Morocco at all levels. In particular, they signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the field of health and discussed solidifying cooperation in other areas.
The two countries notably signed a joint declaration today, reflecting a shared keenness to commit to their increasingly significant, evolving bilateral ties. The joint statement commended the “dynamism that has characterized the relations between the two countries in recent years.”
Bourita’s meeting with Szijjarto represented a “key step in the strengthening bilateral ties and paves the way for new economic partnership opportunities,” the statement stressed, noting that the two ministers identified several key sectors of particular importance for cementing Moroccan-Hungarian ties, including the economy, agriculture, food industries, renewable energies, and the automotive sector.
