Luanda - The bilateral relationship between Angola and Morocco is characterized by an "active partnership," the ambassador and permanent representative of the Republic of Angola to the United Nations Office and other organizations in Geneva, Switzerland, Margarida Izata has said.
Quoted in a press release to which ANGOP had access on Tuesday, the diplomat made the statement during the session dedicated to the sixth review of Morocco's trade policy taking place from April 22 to 24 at the headquarters of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Switzerland.
The diplomat said that although the partnership between Angola and Morocco is modest, both countries are active in the African Union and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTFA), as well as members of the WTO since 1995 and 1996, respectively.
Margarida Izata emphasized that during 2022 Angola exported mainly food waste and related substances to Morocco, consisting of bran, coffee, tea, mate and spices, while previously Angola just used to import mainly chemical and mineral products and processed fish from Morocco.
According to Margarida Izata, the trade relationship can be considered "very modest and unbalanced", a fact that requires further development in the coming years.
The diplomat said trade relations between the two countries still fall far short of expectations and pledged to pave the way for raising cooperation to the level of an active partnership and to build new economic and commercial ties, as well as profitable investments.
The ambassador, who led the Angolan delegation to the event, welcomed the important outcome of the sixth evaluation of Morocco's trade policies and practices, emphasizing that the Moroccan report and that of the WTO secretariat provided an exhaustive analysis of Morocco's economic and trade developments over the last seven years.
Margarida Izata also recognised that it is clear that, despite the global pandemic crisis and the dramatic conflicts and geopolitical changes of recent years, Morocco recorded growth at an average of 2, 1% per year, mobilizing a consolidated democracy, a diversified economy and global investments in human development.
"Angola commends Morocco's continued commitment and hard work in framing and supporting the most relevant initiatives of the African Group. We also praise Morocco's sincere efforts to promote the integration of African and Arab countries into the WTO", Izata said.
The diplomat also pointed out to the fact that in 2023, Morocco became Africa's leading destination for Foreign Direct Investment, the leading African inward investor in West Africa and the second largest African investor in the continent as a whole.
To Izata, the positive and resilient evolution of the Moroccan economy, since 2016 is due to the main reforms implemented in addition to the opening of commercial policies to international markets through the presentation of the various trade agreements at bilateral, regional and multilateral level, the negotiation of new agreements and greater organization and transparency of trade practices.
The Trade Policy Review (TPR) is part of the Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM), which aims to help WTO member states comply with the rules, disciplines and commitments of the international organization’s agreements.
In March, Angola was subjected to the same exercise and was represented by a delegation led by the Minister of Trade and Industry, Rui Miguêns de Oliveira.
QCB/MRA/AMP
