The visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Rabat at the invitation of King Mohammed VI highlighted by the signing of 22 deals between the two countries.
The deals, signed under the chairmanship of the two heads of State, show that both countries share the same resolve to strengthen a partnership that translates into concrete projects covering railways, renewable energies, green hydrogen, ports, education, culture, agriculture and farming.
High-speed trains made by French Alstom will be supplied to Morocco to extend its high-speed railways south to Marrakech. The deal includes 12 confirmed trains and 6 optional ones.
The two countries also signed a financial cooperation deal in the railway sector and an assistance contract between the Moroccan railways office ONCF and the SYSTRA/EGIS company.
ONCF also signed an agreement to acquire rail material from VOSSLOH COGIFER.
In the aerospace industry, the Moroccan government and SAFRAN signed an agreement to build a maintenance and repairing site for aircraft engines for an investment worth nearly €130 million.
Under an agreement in the field of green hydrogen, the Moroccan government will allocate an area to Total Energy.
The two governments also agreed to cooperate in the energy sector and convened to set up an investment accelerating facility worth 3 billion dirhams.
They also signed an agreement to develop cooperation in civil protection and the fight against wildland fires.
During the same signing ceremony, ADF vowed to loan Morocco €100 million destined to water management. The two countries also agreed to promote cooperation in the agricultural sector.
In the field of education, an agreement was sealed to promote excellence in training, support technical education sectors, strengthen the network of French educational institutions in Morocco, contribute to the teaching of the Arabic language in France, and boost inter-academic partnerships.
An MoU was also signed on the creation of an African-oriented French-Moroccan Research Center (CRFM).
This center, the first of its kind in Africa, will be dedicated to training, research and innovation in cutting-edge fields: artificial intelligence, Big Data, cyber security, renewables, hydrogen and human and social sciences, as the two countries also agreed to promote cultural cooperation.
During the same event, the OCP Group and the French Development Agency (AFD) agreed to cooperate in the field of decarbonization in a deal worth €350 million.
OCP also signed a Joint Development Agreement with ENGIE within the framework of a partnership in energy transition.
As part of Morocco’s renewable energy projects, EDF won a contract to expand its Taza wind farm.
In the field of port management, the CMA CGM Group, the world’s third-largest shipping company, and TANGER MED signed an agreement to develop a container terminal in Nador West Med.