Exclusive interviews

“Together with the Chamber, we must develop a shared coherence.”

H.E. Guillaume Scheurer, Ambassador of Switzerland in Rabat

You took up your post last September. What are your first impressions of the country? In your view, what characterises Morocco?

In reality, these are not my first impressions. I have already had the good fortune to come to Morocco several times, notably when I was 18. I had travelled with a backpack, and what struck me at the time was the country’s powerful aromas, its tastes, scents and fragrances, and of course its extraordinary landscapes… Today, I am rediscovering it through very different eyes, those of a diplomat and a somewhat older man. What I feel is a warm country, a friendly country, an inspiring country. For me, it really is a country with a special energy that comes from the ground, from this ochre earth that I love so much. The impressions of my youth are also confirmed today, and it is a real pleasure for me to be here. Since my arrival, I have been particularly touched by the kindness and sense of sharing of Moroccans. I have had several meaningful experiences in this respect, and I said to myself, generally speaking, ‘we Europeans, we Swiss, have a lot to learn from this way of relating to others, from this relationship and this generosity towards others, especially when they are not part of our private circle’.

Can some of your past experiences be transposed to Morocco?

I have held posts that were very different from one another, and each time it has been an enriching experience. But whether in the Islamic Republic of Iran, South Africa, Austria, the United States, Ukraine or now Morocco, the core of my mission, as the official representative of my country, is the same: to make contact with local people in every possible field and at every level. Contacts that are necessarily multiple, multifaceted and multidimensional.

In Morocco, it is a little early for me to say, but what I feel is a very strong immediacy; regions which, as in Switzerland, have distinct identities; a strong economic reality and very promising potential; and patriotic unity in the noblest sense of the term. A multilingual country, like Switzerland, with a generous and ancestral African identity and a powerful centuries-old history. My role is also to raise awareness of all its specific features in Switzerland.

Have you already defined your priorities in Morocco? If so, what are they?

Priorities must be bilateral and discussed with my Moroccan colleagues. But the central point is dialogue. It is from there that we can launch joint projects and improvements that benefit our citizens. Another of my priorities is clearly continuity. We have an embassy which, like a football team, cannot win on its own. Our team today is at the top of its game, but to achieve further successes we need partners. In this respect, the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Morocco is a key ally. All the Swiss people living in Morocco are also much more than “supporters”: they are tremendous relays and remarkable partners! My objective is therefore to make contact with all these players and to interact with them. I am also keen to foster and further improve economic relations: both Swiss investment in Morocco and the reverse, but also exports and imports. I would also like to share the Swiss experience in education, vocational training and apprenticeships, where we are among the best in the world. Sustainable tourism is also a priority area in which we can certainly cooperate.

Furthermore, in my view culture is a central element of diplomacy. Switzerland has a very active cultural diplomacy in many countries. Morocco is a highly cultural country and I can see that the Moroccan cultural scene is very strong. My ambition is to develop a greater Swiss presence in these forums and to bring a stronger Moroccan cultural presence to Switzerland. In any case, my ambition is for all these actions to have a tangible impact, however modest.

The Chamber of Commerce aims to develop even more synergies with the Embassy and Swiss institutions (SECO, S-GE…). Do you agree with this vision? How can the Embassy contribute concretely to its implementation?

I fully agree with the Chamber’s vision, and I would like to commend Mr Zerelli for his dynamism. I am delighted to have this partner in Casablanca, and it is a first for me to have a Chamber as part of my missions. A very active Chamber at that!

I am convinced that developing synergies is a necessity. We are too small not to look for anchor points, contacts and coherence in our actions! So let us find synergies together that have a useful impact, both for Swiss companies already active in Morocco and, where appropriate, for newcomers. This work is already well under way and I am very pleased about that.

We have agreed to develop a shared coherence, to focus on exchange and to communicate regularly in order to generate concrete and coherent actions with the aim of attracting Swiss players to Morocco.

The Embassy often takes on the role of a transmission belt. Transmission belts are not always seen as very noble, but they are indispensable! We represent the entire Swiss administration, and in particular the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), for the whole Kingdom. We are also the preferred point of contact for the organisation “Switzerland Global Enterprise” (S-GE). But we are also in contact with Economiesuisse and the Swiss-African Business Circle. Through these interactions, our ambition today is to put Morocco back at the centre of the economic radar in Switzerland. Our role is to better explain to these players the role of the Chamber as a key partner. If we succeed, this will have many positive impacts.

What are your proposals for smoothing cooperation? How can the Embassy help bring Swiss institutions and the Chamber of Commerce closer together?

Generally speaking, the first task is to build knowledge: to get to know the Chamber better, but also its member companies, in order to have a complete and usable overview.

It is also essential to visit major national infrastructure and to meet the Moroccan entities working in the financial, insurance, industrial, tourism and training sectors, … I have already had the opportunity to visit many Swiss companies and factories active in Morocco: I am very impressed by the quality and know-how developed in Morocco.

We will then be able to pass all this on to Swiss decision-makers and organise meetings. The objective is to deploy solid triangular cooperation between the Chamber, the Embassy and Swiss entities.

To smooth cooperation, we must work together. I believe that the SIAM 2019 experience was an excellent model. Organising joint events and delegation visits will allow us to achieve this objective.

Various MoUs have been signed between our two countries in different fields. How can the Embassy support the Chamber and Swiss companies in the effective implementation of these agreements?

These sectoral agreements were mainly concluded over the past year. Now, together with the Moroccan authorities but also other players such as the Chamber, the task is to analyse whether there are avenues that would allow Swiss or Moroccan companies to do concrete work.

At the same time, it is important to keep working on Switzerland’s areas of excellence, which could eventually give rise to joint projects:

For example, in education, a sector in which we are very active, we will organise a visit to Switzerland by Said Amzazi, Minister of Education, in March 2020. I am also thinking of the hydraulics sector, in particular dam maintenance, and everything related to renewable energies, notably photovoltaics. Many other fields of action remain to be explored, so we must whet appetites! So now, let’s get to work.

“Continuity, dialogue and dynamism will be the pillars of our cooperation with the Embassy”

Sami Zerelli, President of the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Morocco

After more than 25 years in Morocco, including more than a decade at the head of the Swiss Chamber of Commerce, how do you see Morocco? In your opinion, is there one thing today that particularly sets Morocco apart?

Since I arrived, Morocco has never ceased to surprise me, on different levels. Whether in terms of political decisions or the development of its infrastructure – I am thinking in particular of the port of Tanger Med and the high-speed train – but also the university in Ben Guerir, which incidentally works with Swiss institutions, and, in another field, Casablanca Finance City. Morocco is moving fast; it has become a business, logistics and financial hub for Africa. Remarkably, the country is developing without losing its authenticity and traditions. You need only look at the attachment and loyalty of Moroccan nationals living abroad. Often, after two generations, some traditions are lost. In Morocco, the affection is still there.

What strikes me most here… The ability to make paradoxes coexist in a serene atmosphere. Despite differences in several respects, dialogue always comes first. Morocco is a country of solutions. I have often heard the phrase “In Morocco everything is complicated but nothing is impossible” and I find that it sums the country up. Indeed, I constantly advise Swiss operators to engage in dialogue, to learn and to adapt.

What are your priorities for the Chamber?

Building on a successful and fruitful track record, the Chamber set out its strategic priorities at its last board meeting, which was held for the first time in the presence of our new Ambassador in Rabat, His Excellency Guillaume Scheurer.

One of the main priorities is our commitment to openness. We want to associate all Swiss activities with economic activity, in order to present the Swiss “offer” as a whole. We are currently compiling a directory listing all Swiss activities in Morocco.

We have also decided to step up our collaboration with Moroccan and Swiss public institutions. In Morocco, we are targeting the Regions. The regionalisation policy launched by the Kingdom shows many similarities with the Swiss model in terms of budgetary independence. Our challenge is to find synergies between the two models. This is why the Swiss Chamber of Commerce (CCSM) recently signed a Framework Cooperation Agreement with the Marrakech-Safi region, covering in particular initial vocational training, support for SMEs and the promotion of the region’s economic attractiveness.

The CCSM also aims to create partnerships with professional associations in Morocco, such as the agreement ratified between the Club des Entrepreneurs Bio (CEBio) and the (CCSM).

In Switzerland, we need to identify, among other things, opportunities for collaboration with SECO, S-GE… Today, we have a new Ambassador. The most important thing is to continue the established collaboration, build mutual trust in the way we work, listen to any suggestions he may have regarding our strategy, and move forward hand in hand.

The Chamber’s ambition is clearly to develop more synergies with the Embassy and Swiss institutions (SECO, SGE…). What do you expect from your various partners?

We expect continuous dialogue and active participation from everyone. We would also like to be involved early in future projects. That is how we will succeed in creating synergies without wasting time or energy. Communication must be the essential cornerstone of all our partnerships, and all the more so with the Embassy… In the past, we have sometimes had very little involvement in certain economic agreements. We must act together to make our action more fruitful.

In your view, what could make cooperation smoother?

Sharing and working together and maintaining ties, as explained above, will allow us to make our cooperation much smoother. It is therefore necessary to set a joint momentum in motion in this direction.

At the same time, certain formats have proven their effectiveness. I am thinking in particular of the lunches organised by the Embassy that bring together the Swiss business community. These extremely beneficial meetings, which generate discoveries and opportunities without necessarily involving any commercial stakes, allow Swiss economic operators to listen to and keep abreast of the government’s priorities and then put forward suitable cooperation proposals.

Several MoUs have been signed between Morocco and Switzerland in various fields. How are the Chamber and Swiss companies positioning themselves in the implementation of these agreements?

My objective for the Chamber, and for developing bilateral relations, particularly from an economic point of view, is to create an overall environment conducive to trade. To that end, I would like the business community to be involved in agreements upstream, before they are signed. As for the MoUs signed between Switzerland and Morocco, our objective is for them to be translated into concrete contracts, whether private-private or public-private.

To this end, the Chamber will act on several levels. For example, regarding the MoU on technical cooperation in road and rail transport, we will reach out to local companies that have not yet been involved in the project. At the same time, we are organising a visit to Morocco by S-GE (Switzerland Global Enterprise) next February to make contact with players in the sector. This visit will also allow S-GE to gain a better understanding of Morocco’s strengths as a financial and logistics hub for Africa.

We also wish to ask S-GE to promote this agreement among its members, then identify those who could join the project, and even consider creating a business delegation.