Morocco

For more information see the website of the Embassy of Italy in Rabat

Political Relations
Italy places support for the stability, development, deregulation and modernisation of Morocco among its priorities. Morocco is a strategic partner within the context of the shared goals of creating a safe and prosperous Mediterranean area and stemming international terrorism, organised crime and illegal immigration. 
Our interest in building on  political relations with Rabat is founded on the presence of a substantial Moroccan community in Italy (over 200,000, Italy’s third largest foreign community).

Our bilateral relations are outlined within the framework of the Protocol on political consultations signed in 2000, which envisages annual meetings, alternating between Rome and Rabat, at Foreign Minister, Secretary of State and Director General level of both countries  to review principal bilateral issues and international policy.

Visits
Numerous visits and political encounters have been exchanged over recent months: a Moroccan government delegation led by Interior Minister  Benmoussa met in Rome on 27 March 2007 with the Italian foreign minister, who later made an official visit to Morocco on 2-3 April 2007; then foreign minister of Morocco Benaissa was received in Rome on 31 July 2007; the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs visited Morocco on 12-13 November in the context of promoting Milan as a candidate to host the 2015 EXPO; finally, the foreign minister was in Rabat on 20-22 January 2008 for the ministerial meeting of the 5+5 Dialogue. A visit to Italy by Moroccan Foreign Minister Taieb Fassi Fihri is being planned for the second half of 2008.

Economic Relations
Economic/trade levels in 2007 reached 2.07 billion euro, resulting in a positive trade balance for Italy of 825.6 million euro. Italy ranked third in 2007 among Morocco’s trade partners and Italian sales (1.45 billion euro), up by 26% as compared with the same period of the previous year, with an increase of 15% in imports from Morocco (624.3 million euro). The Moroccan market is today among the primary destinations for Italian products in Africa.
A good 10% of total Italian exports to Morocco consists of industrial machinery and textiles. With regard to imports it should be pointed out that there has been a revival in the sector of Moroccan-made apparel, which seems to have recuperated its position against its Asian competitors, as well as growth in our importation of frozen and processed fish resulting from continuing developments in that sector in Morocco over recent years. Significant growth has also been recorded in the importation of basic chemical products.
 
Despite the fact that, as of 2006 (la test data available), Italy ranked only 8th among investors, with approximately 30 million euro in direct investments in Morocco, the absence of any particular macro-economic risks, the gradual opening of the Moroccan market to international competition and the low cost of labour have facilitated the current presence of approximately 300 Italian and joint-capital firms. Among the elements that could further boost the presence of Italian firms in Morocco are its interest in Italian business “models” (industrial clusters, SMEs and consortiums), as well as the Rabat government’s ambitious development projects in several key sectors of the economy (energy, urban planning, tourism, transport, infrastructure, agriculture/food processing and waste management).

Special attention should go to the tourism sector, where the already substantial Italian investments could be further enhanced as a result of the 2007 partnership agreement between the Moroccan government and the Alpitour World Group, which envisages the promotion of Morocco as a tourist destination through increased direct flights to the main Moroccan tourist sites from various Italian cities.

The banking sector is represented by the presence of Monte dei Paschi di Siena, San Paolo IMI and the UniCredit Group, operating from desks set up in the country’s main bank, the Attjariwafabank

Finally, the recent opening of a “Sportello Unico” (Multi-Service Desk) in Casablanca by the “Promos” network of the Milan Chamber of Commerce and the Chambers of Commerce of various other Italian cities.