Brazilian Senators, Deputies plead for enhanced partnership with Morocco

A group of around fifty Brazilian Deputies and Senators have pleaded for an enhancement of the strategic partnership between Brazil and Morocco, while expressing satisfaction with the “remarkable” progress in political and economic relations between the two countries.

The plea came in a motion signed by 37 Senators and 14 Federal Deputies and addressed to the Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira. This motion holds particular significance as it enjoys support from across the entire Brazilian political spectrum, notably from the leaders of the majority in both chambers of Congress, Senator Jacques Wagner and Deputy Carlos Bacelar, respectively.

“We are convinced that the time is opportune to transform the relationship between our two countries into a multifaceted strategic partnership, at the forefront of a new geo-economic correlation between the two shores of the South Atlantic, serving as a model for the new ambition Brazil aims to implement with Africa,” reads the motion.

The signatories assert that the call for a consolidated strategic partnership with the Kingdom is “justified by Morocco’s competitive position in international maritime and air logistics, based on the promotion of a complex network of free trade agreements.” Morocco “is increasingly attractive for international investments, especially in the automotive, aerospace, and renewable energy sectors,” they outlined.

According to the motion initiated by the Brazil-Morocco Friendship Group in the Brazilian Congress, chaired by Senator Hiran Gonçalves, this dynamism in the Kingdom is also reflected in the diplomatic sphere, as Morocco has hosted various international events, including COP22 in 2016, the Alliance of Civilizations in 2022, and the Annual Meetings of the IMF and World Bank in 2023.

Highlighting that Morocco is set to attract over 13 million tourists this year, the motion signatories also emphasize that in 2030, Morocco will co-host the FIFA World Cup with Spain and Portugal.

The motion also underscores that the trade volume between Brazil and Morocco in 2022 exceeded $3 billion, doubling the amount of trade between the two countries recorded in 2017.

Additionally, Brazilian defense industry companies are negotiating promising projects with Morocco, and the Phosphates Group (OCP) has committed to building fertilizer plants in northern Brazil.

In the same vein, Brazilian aeronautical construction company Embraer is negotiating ambitious contracts with Moroccan airlines, and Moroccan company Green Energy Park (GEP) has recently signed a letter of intent with the State of Piaui (northeast) to build a green hydrogen park, with an investment of 50 billion reals to initially produce 5 GW of green ammonia per year.

On another note, Royal Air Maroc is preparing to resume the Casablanca-São Paulo route, and the Moroccan National Tourism Office (ONMT) will open a commercial office in São Paulo in January 2024, aiming to increase tourist flows between the two countries.

Furthermore, the legal framework between the two countries is “rapidly developing to cover key sectors such as national defense, investment facilitation, judicial cooperation in civil and criminal matters, protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, customs cooperation, and non-double taxation.”