President of the Forum Mondial de la Mer-Bizerte and former Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Pascal Lamy, stated that Morocco is on a steady and well-developed trajectory that positions the Kingdom at the forefront of African emergence.
In an interview published on November 20 by the daily “L’Economiste”, Lamy stressed that the development that Morocco is experiencing is the fruit of a more modern view of the benefits of open trade than that experienced elsewhere, noting that this “imagined, desired, and deliberate” policy has enabled the Kingdom to become an “influential country in Africa and the rest of the world”.
“The openness of trade generates both success and failure, but looking at Morocco’s track record, I think it validates the idea that an economic policy based on openness, competition, and liberalization is the one that pays off most in economic terms,” stated the President of the Forum Mondial de la Mer-Bizerte.
“I believe that the Moroccan experience shows that this pays off,” stated the former European Trade Commissioner.
Lamy also praised Morocco’s commitment to developing Africa’s Atlantic strip, as emphasized by His Majesty King Mohammed VI in his speech on the occasion of the 48th anniversary of the Green March, describing it as “a sign that oceanic and hydrospheric matters are in the process of occupying the place they deserve in global, continental, and national policies”.
“For me, what the Sovereign said is a sign of the progress that is gradually being achieved, which entails drawing the attention of public and national policies to the Ocean, to prevent its degradation and invest in the blue economy, which is a promise not only for food but also for energy and pharmaceuticals,” stressed WTO’s former Director-General.
Lamy also noted that Morocco focuses on both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean and boasts more advanced infrastructures than other African countries, whether in terms of exports, fishing exploitation, or tourism, mentioning the OCP Group, which benefits from a large export capacity to practically every continent thanks to its extensive port infrastructures.
Addressing the crucial challenges facing development policies, Lamy suggested that Morocco’s priority should be African integration. “The issue of a continental free trade zone is complicated, but it is essential for Africa to win the duel between economic and demographic growth,” concluded Lamy.
