Morocco's Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development Leila Benali held talks in Rabat on Thursday with a high-level French delegation from the Normandy region, led by the region's president Hervé Morin, as part of efforts to strengthen cooperation relations between Morocco and France in the fields of energy transition and sustainable development.
The meeting with the French delegation, made up of a host of officials and representatives of scientific research and training institutions in the fields of energy and technological innovation, was an opportunity to strengthen bilateral partnerships in vital areas linked to the energy transition, notably renewable energies, energy efficiency, and research and innovation in green hydrogen technologies, according to a press release from the ministry.
The aim is also to promote capacities in the fields of civil nuclear energy, in addition to exchanging expertise in the management of smart energy grids, the same source adds.
Opportunities for cooperation in the fields of advanced engineering training and applied scientific research were also examined, areas in which the Normandy region excels, as a pioneering hub in France for the nuclear industry, advanced engineering training and partnerships between universities and companies in the energy sector.
Speaking on the occasion, Morin expressed his delight at visiting the Kingdom, while hailing the solid relations between the two countries. He added that Morocco is today a pioneering model for energy transition on an African and Mediterranean scale.
Similarly, the French official pointed out that the Normandy region boasts advanced scientific and industrial assets and remarkable expertise in the fields of civil nuclear energy, green hydrogen, technological innovation and engineering skills training, making it an ideal partner for developing strategic cooperation with Moroccan institutions.
He also stressed the importance of strengthening bilateral partnerships in the fields of scientific research and higher vocational training, particularly in renewable energies, energy efficiency and clean technologies, pointing out that cooperation between French universities and institutions and their Moroccan counterparts is likely to lead to concrete projects in the service of sustainable development and the energy sovereignty of both countries.
For her part, Benali highlighted developing international cooperation to meet environmental and climate challenges, noting that the Kingdom, under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, has made energy transition a strategic lever for achieving energy sovereignty and sustainable development.
She also recalled the strategic partnership inked before the Sovereign and French President Emmanuel Macron, which laid the foundations for solid cooperation between Morocco and France in the field of energy transition, notably in the promotion of green hydrogen and innovation in clean technologies.
This common framework represents a solid reference for expanding areas of cooperation towards tangible projects with a sustainable environmental and economic impact,” the Minister maintained.
The talks were attended by French ambassador to Morocco, as well as officials from the French embassy in Rabat and representatives of economic, university and decentralized cooperation bodies.
MAP: 04 avril 2025
