Israel quiere un tratado de libre comercio con Marruecos

The Israeli economy minister, Amir Peretz, granted the first interview to a Moroccan media outlet by an Israeli authority since relations between the two countries were normalised in the middle of last month. The fact that it was Peretz who gave the interview is a gesture full of symbolism, as he himself was born in the Alaouite kingdom, where part of his family still lives and where he often travels.

The interview has left a great headline: Israel will propose a free trade agreement with Morocco. Relations between the two countries are still settling down, but important initiatives such as this one now proposed by Peretz are already on the horizon. Tel Aviv is attempting to make swift progress in this direction.

Amir Peretz pointed out that there are great opportunities for collaboration between the two countries and, above all, areas in which to make investments in Morocco, such as agriculture and water management. Israel, for its part, could be interested in the North African country's growing automotive sector.

The Minister of the Economy has announced the creation of a specific team to develop the draft of the possible free trade agreement, which will be presented to the cabinets of both countries as soon as possible. Both Morocco and Israel already have agreements of this kind with other countries such as the United States, Canada and Turkey, as well as with the European Union. Peretz already held an initial meeting with his Moroccan counterpart at which, according to the subsequent communiqué, an action plan was put forward to develop co-operation between the two countries.

The diplomatic delegations between the two countries have yet to be established, but Israel has already announced that the liaison office it will set up in Rabat will be headed by the former ambassador to Egypt, David Govrin. However, Morocco has not made known any details of its representation in the Israeli capital, its function, its size or who will head it.

The office will be located in the same place where it was during the 90s, before Morocco broke off relations with Israel. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has since maintained the building, which will now be reopened. The chief economist of the Israeli Ministry of Finance, Shira Greenberg, has estimated that this normalisation of relations in trade between the two countries will lead to growth of 500 million dollars. A figure which, if the goal set by Peretz is realised, could be much higher.