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Gibraltar and Morocco seek closer ties
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The Deputy Chief Minister earlier this week held an initial round of high-level talks with three Ministers of the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco.
The first meeting was with H.E. Adil Douiri, Minister for Tourism, and with H.E. Karim Ghellab, Minister for Transportation and Infrastructure. The discussions with Minister Douiri were a continuation of earlier conversations at FITUR.
The Ministers sought a briefing on Gibraltar's economy and the Government's strategy in relation to tourism and to economic development. They in turn provided Minister Holliday with an overview of the Moroccan Government's strategic vision. Opportunities arising from a closer relationship between the ports of Gibraltar and Tangier, following the visit to the new port of Tanger-Med, were also discussed. Some of the obstacles to more fluid links between Gibraltar and Morocco were identified and possible solutions highlighted.
The Minister for Transportation and Infrastructure, Minister Ghellab, in particular, was interested in agreeing a series of topics of mutual interest to be considered in greater detail by working groups composed of officials in the first instance and then at Ministerial level.
This meeting was then followed by a meeting between the Deputy Chief Minister and the Minister for Trade and Industry, H.E. Salaheddine Mezouar. At this meeting, wider issues of commerce were discussed. Particular interest was expressed by the Minister in the potential for the Interreg IlIA Gibraltar-Morocco EU-co-funded programme to deliver interesting projects that could be of mutual interest.
The three Ministers from the Government of Morocco were invited by Minister Holliday to visit Gibraltar. A presentation of a suitably engraved model of the Rock of Gibraltar was presented to each of the Ministers.
"I am pleased to have been invited by the Government Ministers in Morocco to commence dialogue on a wide range of issues," said Hon Joe Holliday. "These meetings, at which senior officials were present, will now pave the way for a detailed work programme. My intention is not to have a long list of topics to discuss, but a short list of achievable items, so that measurable progress can be realised in the short term."
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