Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko on Tuesday called for a new phase in the economic partnership between Morocco and his country.
Speaking in Casablanca, Sonko advocated for a shift toward value chain integration, joint production, and enhanced local processing, moving beyond a relationship traditionally defined by trade alone.
Opening an economic forum held on the sidelines of the 15th session of the Great Moroccan-Senegalese Joint Cooperation Commission, in the presence of Moroccan head of government Aziz Akhannouch, Sonko emphasised the need for evolution.
He stated that the two nations must move from a relationship “largely structured around trade flows to one based on productive complementarity, joint investment, and the alignment of industrial capacities.”
While acknowledging the growth of bilateral trade in recent years, PM Sonko noted that current levels remain “well below the strategic potential” offered by the two economies. “Our ambition is not merely to buy and sell, but to produce, process, export, and consume together,” he asserted, championing a co-development model designed to generate added value and employment.
To achieve this, Sonko stressed the importance of rebalancing and further structuring trade relations, specifically through the establishment of a Joint Trade Commission and the strengthening of economic data sharing. He argued that a deeper mutual understanding of Moroccan and Senegalese markets is essential for businesses to identify sustainable investment opportunities.
The Senegalese head of government also welcomed the cooperation agreements, Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), and protocols signed Monday in Rabat, describing them as concrete levers for deepening sectoral cooperation. He urged the private sector to capitalise on these institutional commitments to transform them into tangible economic projects.
Sonko highlighted that the Senegalese delegation’s participation in the forum reflects a momentum driven at the highest level by King Mohammed VI and Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, aimed at supporting private-sector initiatives.
Organised by the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM), in partnership with the Moroccan Investment and Export Development Agency, the Senegalese Investment Promotion Agency (APIX), and the National Council of Senegalese Employers (CNP), the forum brought together ministers, CEOs, and institutional representatives from both nations.
MK/AK/lb/as/APA