China-funded smart city to bring tech and jobs to Morocco

The new industrial district of Mohammed VI Tangier Tech City, a joint Chinese-Moroccan project, is taking shape in northern Morocco's coastal city of Tangier.

The project was one of many agreed between China and Morocco during the visit of Morocco's King Mohammed VI to China in 2016.

Construction began in the second half of last year and the new city will eventually cover approximately 2,000 hectares and host over 200 multinational companies in a range of free trade industrial zones, technology hubs, residential areas and commercial spaces.

"The investment we are seeking is basically around automotive parts and new energy related industries. This aligns with the current trend of Chinese companies going global and Morocco's national strategy to strengthen its automotive supply chain and expand the new energy sector," said Yan Bin, General Manager of the Morocco Office at China Road and Bridge Corporation, one constructor of the project.

The first 500 hectares of the project are currently under construction with over 80 percent of the land already allocated to around 20 multinational companies.

"Our settlement here has been warmly welcomed by the local government as we bring advanced technology, which fills a gap in Morocco's green industry initiative. Our entry has also attracted related upstream and downstream companies, which is a crucial step in building the industry's ecosystem," said Peter Yang, General Manager of BTR Mediterranean New Material Technology.

When it's finished, the 300-million-U.S. dollar project will directly create 100,000 local job opportunities and around 300,000 indirectly, those involved in the project say.

The new tech city is not only for Chinese and Moroccan companies, but also welcomes companies from other countries. As Morocco has bilateral free trade agreements with the European Union and the United States, the smart city could help boost global industrial and supply chain connectivity.

China-funded smart city to bring tech and jobs to Morocco

Russia is open to negotiations to resolve the Ukraine crisis, but such talks must address its "root causes" and reflect realities on the ground, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Sunday in an interview with RIA Novosti.

Lavrov stressed the need to ensure Ukraine's "non-aligned, neutral and non-nuclear status" to "eliminate the long-term threats to Russia's security posed by the West, including NATO expansion."

Ukraine must take on specific obligations to ensure the rights, freedoms and interests of Russian-speaking citizens, he added.

Earlier, Ukraine's Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak was quoted as saying in an interview with Suspilne on Dec. 12 by local media Kyiv Independent that Ukraine was not prepared to enter negotiations with Russia as it lacks sufficient Western support to engage from a position of strength.

Russia ready for peace talks with Ukraine, but situation on ground must be considered: Lavrov