The opening ceremony of this event was chaired by the ambassador of HM the King to Senegal, Hassan Naciri, in the presence of the vice-president of the Moroccan Association of Exporters (ASMEX), responsible for the Africa Commission, Saloua Belkeziz, director general of the International Center for Foreign Trade of Senegal (CICES), Salihou Keita and Jean Koe Ntonga, the ambassador of Cameroon to Senegal and dean of the diplomatic corps.
Speaking on this occasion, Naciri highlighted the uniqueness and exemplary relations between Morocco and Senegal in all areas, including economy, adding that Senegal is, in this regard, one of the main partners of the Kingdom in the region.
The Moroccan diplomat stressed that after the Covid-19 pandemic, Africa has become aware that it can only rely on itself and its human genius to take its destiny in hand on the path of development through the mobilization and optimal exploitation of its resources and the promotion of partnerships and cooperation, “as emphasized His Majesty King Mohammed VI in His historic speech in Abidjan in February 2014, “Africa should learn to trust Africa”.
These orientations were and remain at the heart of the action of the Kingdom at the level of the continent, guided by the vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI having contributed to the emergence of major projects and new partnerships with Africa, notably with Senegal, said Naciri.
He called on African entrepreneurs to seize the investment opportunities that will be offered with the launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and with all the potential of partnership, joint venture and movement of capital, goods, services and human flows.
In this sense, he emphasized the huge project of Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline to connect these two countries through several states in West Africa and its contribution to the creation of value chains along the path of this pipeline, while mentioning the strategic bridge linking Mauritania to Senegal and which is an essential link in the historic project of land link Tangier-Lagos.
As part of this day, the Senegalese Minister of Trade, Consumption and SMEs, Abdou Karim Fofana visited the Moroccan pavilion set up at FIDAK.
A total of 16 Moroccan exhibitors participate in the 30th edition of the Dakar International Fair held under the theme “the national private sector facing the challenges of economic sovereignty”.
