The executives of Morocco and the Canary Islands have committed to reactivating "as soon as possible" the maritime line between Tarfaya and Fuerteventura as a fundamental axis to promote commercial and business relations between the islands and the neighboring country.
This was stated by the regional president, Ángel Víctor Torres, after a first day «intense and fruitful» in the neighboring country at the head of a Canarian business delegation. He added that "there are already Canarian companies interested" in recovering this connection canceled in 2008 and the Canarian Government is willing to look for subsidy lines to get it started.
Torres valued the good neighborly relations between Morocco and Spain, and the fact that both countries have agreed that no unilateral decisions should be taken on matters concerning both states. “Whenever relations are good between the two countries, this has a positive impact on the Canary Islands”, he added. In that sense, and also within the framework of good relations, he wanted to highlight that “so far in 2023, compared to the same months of 2022, the migratory flow has been reduced by 60%”.
The President of the Canary Islands also recalled that, as a result of the good relations between Morocco and Spain, the working groups for the delimitation of maritime spaces on the Atlantic facade have been reactivated, and “thanks to this, the Canary Islands are participating in these working groups”, he pointed out.
Torres stressed the importance of this visit to further strengthen trade ties with the Kingdom of Morocco, a country in which there are 26 Canarian companies installed and with which some 160 entities dedicated to export or import work. The president highlighted the need to continue cooperating and developing projects with ample potential "with our main commercial partner in Africa", he remarked.
Currently 16,444 Moroccans reside in the islands, being the first African nationality based in the archipelago.
The visits of the Canarian presidents to Morocco began in 1986, when Jerónimo Saavedra made the first official trip. Since then, the regional presidents have traveled to the neighboring country.
In this sense, he also announced that in addition to recovering the maritime line between Fuerteventura and Morocco, an agreement was reached to intensify air connectivity and from July, Binter will operate three new connections between the Canary Islands and Morocco.
