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Rabat – Morocco and Finland have agreed on a Momentum of Understanding (MoU) to advance economic and technical bilateral cooperation in the energy sector, particularly renewable energy.
The MoU was signed by Morocco’s Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development Leïla Benali and Finland’s Ambassador to Morocco Pekka Hyvönen.
Ambassador Hyvönen signed the agreement on behalf of Finland’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Employment Mika Lintilä, during a virtual event in Rabat on February 9, the Finnish government reported in a press release.
Finland’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment prepared the Morocco-Finland MoU in partnership with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Finnish energy industry.
The memorandum aims to promote the integration of Finnish companies into the Moroccan market and reinforce “the networks between companies, universities, and research organizations, as well as [create] closer commercial and investment links between our countries,” commented Hyvönen.
Additionally, the agreement calls for bilateral cooperation in research and development, energy technology, energy efficiency, waste and water treatment, water, wind and solar energy, information and communication technology, and the hydrogen economy.
The new cooperation reflects Finland’s growing interest in the North African kingdom. “From Finland’s point of view, Morocco is an interesting market that, due to its geographical location, also serves as a gateway to the growing African market,” according to the statement.
In 2019, the Nordic country established the Team Finland network in Rabat and Business Finland office in Casablanca to assist Finnish companies wishing to enter the Moroccan market and promote the North African country back home.
The Finnish embassy in Rabat considers the office to have “a lot of potential to increase trade relations with Morocco.”
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The inauguration of the Team Finland network in Rabat and Business Finland office in Casablanca results from several diplomatic visits and meetings between the two countries’ leaderships organized over the past years.
Gradually, Finland has considered Morocco a “strategic and important” and “reliable partner” of the European Union as the Finnish FM Erkki Tuomioja and the speaker of Finnish parliament Maria Lohela stated in official meetings with their Moroccan counterparts in 2015 and 2017, respectively.
While Morocco-Finland cooperation currently focuses primarily on energy and green economy, the parliamentary partnership introduces another aspect for cooperation.
In 2016, Maria Lohela expressed satisfaction about the “remarkable progress” made by Morocco in various fields in a meeting with the president of Moroccan Employers’ Association (CGEM) Miriem Bensalah-Chaqroun.
The following year, Morocco’ speaker of upper house Hakim Benchamach visited the presidential palace in Helsinki. During the meeting, President Sauli Niinisto described Morocco as “an exception” amid regional instability.
The bilateral efforts to promote cooperation between the two countries have continued even amid the ongoing pandemic.
The Finnish embassy in Rabat organized a November 2021 webinar under the theme “Morocco gateway to Africa” to highlight business opportunities present in the Moroccan market to Finnish companies.
Moroccan Ambassador to Finland Mohammed Ariad, the Finnish ambassador to Morocco Hyvonen Pekka, and representatives of Finnish companies operating in Morocco participated in the event.
Ambassador Pekka inaugurated the event by highlighting Morocco-Finland relations and the unique opportunities available in the Moroccan market. He added that “Morocco is different from other continental African countries” thanks to its advanced infrastructure.
