Mali and Morocco are stepping up efforts to strengthen economic ties ahead of a Business Forum scheduled for July 23 in Bamako, to be held on the sidelines of the Mali-Morocco Joint High Commission for Cooperation.
Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop and Minister of Industry and Trade Moussa Alassane Diallo met on June 22 to review preparations for the event, which is expected to bring together business leaders and investors from both countries. Discussions focused on partnership opportunities in key sectors including agriculture, energy, health, infrastructure, industry, financial services, training and trade.
The forum is seen as a practical step toward translating the growing diplomatic rapprochement between Bamako and Rabat into concrete economic projects and investments.
The meeting comes as both countries seek to expand a relationship already supported by Moroccan investments in banking, telecommunications, agriculture and other services in Mali. Trade between the two nations remains relatively modest, with Moroccan exports to Mali far exceeding Malian exports to Morocco.
Recent cooperation initiatives have included agricultural partnerships led by OCP Africa, collaboration in the health and energy sectors, increased scholarship opportunities for Malian students and continued religious training programmes. Malian authorities hope the forum, alongside the relaunch of the Mali-Morocco Business Council, will help attract investment, create jobs and strengthen local industrial development, while providing a framework to revive and implement several bilateral agreements signed over the past decade.
