Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (EFE).- A group of businessmen from Tenerife, Gran Canaria and other islands have created the Canarian Association of Friends of Morocco (ACDAM) in order to promote economic relations with the neighboring country and offer guarantees legal so that Canarian companies can operate with it safely.
The former president of the Government of the Canary Islands, the socialist Jerónimo Saavedra, as honorary president of the association, and its president, Juana González, announced this Thursday, together with the Moroccan consul on the islands, Fatiha El Kamari, this initiative business, which wants to take advantage of the possibilities of the neighboring country and for which some 800 Canarian companies have already taken an interest.
Some possibilities that, according to González, after the recent summit held between the Governments of Spain and Morocco, which concluded with a declaration of intent between the two countries, opens up new opportunities for the Canary Islands market in sectors such as fishing, renewable energy, training , health, transport and agriculture.
The president of ACDAM has highlighted that the value of imports from Morocco to the Canary Islands is 26.7 million euros, while exports from the archipelago to that country amount to 10.1 million euros, which represents 15.34 % of the Canarian foreign market.
For González, this trade balance is comparable to what a medium-sized hotel bills in the tourist areas of Maspalomas, Jandía or Adeje, something that, in his opinion, must be changed.
According to the president of this association, there is business interest in Morocco and proof of this is that some 800 businessmen have already taken an interest in the initiative that they lead and that they understand that it was born at a “propitious moment” due to the relations it maintains with Spain. .
ACDAM will provide advice for implementation in the country, where many European banks already operate, stated González, who has also advanced that the association work to increase air and sea transport between Morocco and the archipelago.
Saavedra has highlighted that already in 1992, when he was president of the Canary Islands Government, after an official trip to Morocco, he advocated promoting commercial relations and was criticized for it by the opposition, but he understands that the reality remains the same .
“The Canary Islands cannot live with its back to a nearby territory” with which other autonomous communities, such as the Catalan, Valencian or Andalusian, maintain a greater commercial relationship, while “we continue to look at the sky”, lamented Saavedra, who In addition, he stressed that Morocco is currently leading economic development on the African continent, so, in his opinion, the islands should participate in it.
The former Canarian president has stated that the general rejection and that of certain parties towards Morocco is not understood and has advocated dialogue and debate to achieve a solution to the Sahara conflict, which remains entrenched.
He has once again defended the solution of creating an autonomy dependent on Morocco in the Sahara and has insisted that this proposal was presented to the United Nations in 2007 and does not imply a breach of international law.
“We have been in the useless battle for independence for 45 years”, asserted Saavedra, who advocates for a “realistic and dignified solution, with the necessary international controls, so that the Sahrawis exiled in Tindouf can return to their land”. EFE