Moroccan Ambassador Seeking Partnerships with American Firms

Nov. 1, 2012 - PRLog -- Houston, TX -- Eager to learn about opportunities to expand ties between Morocco and the U.S., the Bilateral US-Arab Chamber of Commerce arranged a business roundtable with key members interested in the North African nation, including His Excellency Rachad Bouhlal, Ambassador for the Kingdom of Morocco. In 2011 exports from the United States to Morocco totaled approximately $2.8 billion. “Our members today represent the agriculture, renewable energy, water technology and education sectors that Ambassador Bouhlal highlighted were most suitable to Morocco’s strategic development vision for 2013,” said Aida Araissi, president of the Bilateral Chamber.

Ambassador Bouhlal began his presentation by highlighting the special relationship his country has with America. For example, the Kingdom of Morocco was the first country to recognize the United States in 1777. Nine years later, our new nation and Morocco signed a cooperation treaty that stands as the longest treaty in the history of the United States. Morocco also enjoys a free trade agreement with the United States and is working on enhancing taxation issues that would incentivize more bilateral trade. “My door is open to providing any support a company needs in their pursuit of investing or identifying a partner or project in Morocco,” Ambassador Bouhlal said. He emphasized that “when U.S. companies invest in a region outside the United States, it results in jobs back home.”

A respected and seasoned diplomat, Ambassador Bouhlal was appointed by King Mohammed VI in 2011, having previously served as ambassador to several other countries, and in senior advisor roles for foreign trade and investments, foreign affairs, and economic and financial affairs. The Kingdom of Morocco was the first country to recognize the United States in 1797, but diplomatic relationships were not recognized until 1905.

The Bilateral US-Arab Chamber of Commerce is an exclusive membership-based network of international business leadership that establishes strategic connections between the United States and Middle East/North Africa (MENA) to foster economic growth, educational advancement and cultural understanding. Founded in 1997 by Aida Araissi, the Bilateral Chamber creates access, strategic options, and positive results for its members by facilitating relationships with key decision-makers, helping to navigate through the complex field of international trade, and producing effective programming including trade missions, speaker’s series, and educational exchange initiatives. Headquartered in Houston, Texas (USA), the not-for-profit Bilateral Chamber membership includes Fortune 500 companies, private sector enterprises, thought leaders, and academic institutions from a wide range of industry sectors across the US and MENA regions. For more information about the Bilateral Chamber, visit http://www.bilateralchamber.org.