In a speech on the occasion of the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of a Green Partnership with the EU, Bourita said that this agreement “aligns perfectly with the Royal High Directions,” explaining that HM the King “has, very early, set the course for Morocco: the course on the EU and the course on the environment.”
“The Green Partnership is at the junction of the two,” he noted, noting that it fits “just as naturally” into the national sectoral strategies for energy transition, decarbonization of the Moroccan economy, as well as adaptation and resilience to climate change and blue economy.
Similarly, he noted, “the Green Partnership fits perfectly into the global partnership with the EU”, considering that it is not an “unknown ground”, but rather a new lever in the global and multidimensional Morocco-EU Partnership, which encapsulates the idea of “strategic linkage” desired by HM the King.
The Minister further explained that the Green Partnership is an opportunity to “rebuild better” in the face of successive crises by getting rid of some outdated schemes and promoting credible and reliable alternatives.
“I can’t stress the word ‘reliable’ enough. The harsh international reality has shown, both in Europe and North Africa, that when it comes to energy, it is reliability and only reliability that counts, even more than the availability of the resource, “said Bourita, arguing that this lesson should be “doctrine” for the Green Partnership.
Referring to the future of this partnership, the Minister said that in terms of governance, both parties must opt for a “flexible, inclusive and collaborative institutional engineering”, while in terms of scope, it should develop bilateral bridges with the countries of the neighborhood, but also regional and bi-continental with the UPM, the 5+5 and with the African continent.
“The objectives of the Green Partnership would be better served by a wide canopy,” he said, adding that in terms of approach, it is necessary to focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy – biomass, green hydrogen, desalination and marine energy.
The Kingdom has become the first country to conclude a Green Partnership with the EU.
Initialled by the Head of Moroccan diplomacy and the Executive Vice President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Climate Action Policy, Frans Timmermans, the memorandum aims to establish a Green Partnership between the partners in the areas of combating climate change, energy transition, environmental protection and the promotion of the green and blue economy.
Strategic in nature and offering real opportunities for political, economic, technical and technological cooperation, this Green Partnership should, among other things, place the fight against climate change, the promotion and advancement of energy transition, environmental protection and the transition to a green and fair economy among the priorities of relations between the EU and Morocco.
