Morocco : A future cornerstone of UK’s post-Brexit Strategy in Africa?

On Monday, 9 September 2024, the Institut Marocain d'Intelligence Stratégique (www.imis.ma) published a policy paper entitled "Morocco : A future cornerstone of UK’s post-Brexit Strategy in Africa?". The policy paper, written by Najib Benamour under the direction of IMIS Chairman Abdelmalek Alaoui and Professor Ahmed Azirar, the Institute's Director of Research, with the participation of Rayan Sahnoune and Victor Pauvert, proposes a new roadmap for strengthening economic and trade cooperation between the UK and Morocco in the post-Brexit context. The policy paper provides an analysis of the historic evolution of bilateral relations between the two countries, emphasising the positive impact of the UK-Morocco Association Agreement of 2021 in strengthening this relationship. This agreement, which came into force in January 2021, constituted a pivotal moment in the evolution of economic relations between the two countries, with bilateral trade reaching £2 billion by 2022. The relationship between the UK and Morocco, which has been shaped by historical developments and is characterised by a dynamic evolution, is now well-positioned to capitalise on the opportunities presented by the Global Britain strategy. In this context, the authors of the Policy Paper highlight the impact of Brexit, which has prompted the UK to redefine its international alliances, with a particular focus on Africa. Morocco is well positioned geographically and is emerging as a new 'connector' for globalisation. This makes it potentially well placed to act as a gateway for British investment in West Africa. The document concludes with ten key recommendations for fully exploiting the potential of this renewed partnership. These include the harmonisation of trade rules, the progressive removal of tariff and customs barriers, and increased investment in strategic sectors such as business services and renewable energy. Furthermore, the Institute advocates for enhanced collaboration in the realms of health, education, and security, with the objective of optimizing the strategic potential of this bilateral partnership.