Israel’s Economy Minister visits Morocco for SIAM, plans to open attaché office

182

Israel’s Economy Minister Nir Barkat has visited Morocco to attend the SIAM, the largest international agricultural exhibition in Morocco and one of the largest in Africa. During his visit, he met with recently appointed Moroccan Minister of Agriculture Mohammed Sadiki and discussed the potential for increased ties between the two countries in the water, desert, and marine agriculture fields. Barkat highlighted the importance of helping each other and relying on technology to ensure the continued prosperity of the populations in Israel and Morocco.

Morocco’s economy heavily relies on the agricultural sector, and Israel has world-class technologies in the fields of water and desert and marine agriculture that could help catapult Morocco’s agriculture sector to new heights. Einat Levi, an expert on Israeli-Moroccan relations, explained that agriculture is rooted deep in the cultural and economical DNA of both countries. Levi also emphasized that the full potential of increased cooperation between Israel and Morocco depends on finalizing economic infrastructure agreements, such as a potential free trade agreement.

Ten Israeli companies exhibited at the SIAM conference, with some already operating in Morocco. Israel’s Netafim, which focuses on irrigation, and SupPlant, which uses advanced algorithms to analyze plant data, were among the leading Israeli companies on the ground. Barkat delivered a talk on “Addressing Global Food & Agriculture Challenges with Israeli Innovation” during a breakout session.

The visit to Meknes, where the SIAM was held, also held significance for Israel and the Jewish community, as Jews lived in the area for centuries before the establishment of the State of Israel. The visit marked a change of direction in history, transforming nostalgia and longing into reality for both countries.