Investment, tourism set for boost as Dar welcomes Moroccan King

Investment, tourism set for boost as Dar welcomes Moroccan King

Wed Oct 26, 2016

The Royal King of Morocco is in his second stage of royal visit to East Africa that is aimed at forging diplomatic and economic ties with a region largely ignored by the north African country up until now.

 

The tour by the Royal King is expected to pave the way for broader economic cooperation and raise the flow of Moroccan investment to Tanzania with signing of agreements in several key areas such as air transport, tourism, infrastructure and energy.

 

King Mohammed VI’s visit to Tanzania is “an unprecedented historic event for this country of East Africa,” said Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr Augustine Mahiga. “We are obviously delighted by the visit of the King of Morocco that will enable both countries to forge deeper relationships, thanks to the political ties binding the Monarchy and President John Magufuli, who opened the way for broader economic cooperation,” Mahiga told the press on the occasion of the official visit of the King.

 

The tour of East Africa “is also a way to get closer to countries which historically had positions which were hostile to Morocco’s interests”, a Moroccan source is quoted by international media.

 

“We have never had any presence, neither diplomatic nor economic, nor cultural, nor historic, with East Africa,” a high-ranking member of the king’s delegation said on condition of anonymity.

 

“Aside from west and central Africa we must open up to east Africa and that is what is under way. The context of Morocco’s return to the African Union is there too of course, and these are important countries in the AU.”

 

Rabat officially requested to rejoin the AU in September, 32 years after quitting the bloc in protest at its decision to accept Western Sahara as a member. Analysts say King Mohammed VI tour of East Africa which followed another he made to various countries in West Africa is part of Morocco’s drive to expand its economic and political influence across sub-Saharan Africa after the southern European region where it had focused much experienced economic crises.

 

There is sound economic logic to the way Morocco is pushing to expand its commercial ties in the south and east. As France and Spain struggle to recover from the eurozone crisis, Moroccan companies that have traditionally looked north are seeking new opportunities in the fast-growing economies of West Africa.

 

“Southern Europe is in the doldrums, so Morocco is looking for new markets and also opportunities for its banking sector,” Michael Willis, a lecturer on Maghreb politics at Oxford University, told Al Jazeera.

 

In Rwanda, Mohammed met with President Paul Kagame and signed 19 bilateral agreements, mostly in the economic sector.

SOURCE: DAILY NEWS

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