Fight against migration – Nehammer and Karner with delegation in Morocco

Date:

On Monday, Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) will travel to the North African country to celebrate the 240th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Morocco and Austria-Hungary. He will be accompanied by Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP), Foreign Ministry Secretary General Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal and a senior business delegation, the Federal Chancellery announced. The focus of the visit is on migration and economic cooperation.

Morocco is one of the countries with which the European Union has been unsuccessfully negotiating a readmission agreement for rejected asylum seekers for years. In the run-up to the visit, the Ministry of the Interior sent the APA up-to-date asylum figures, according to which Moroccans topped asylum statistics in January. Nearly 30 percent of all asylum applications (more than 1,300 out of 4,288) were submitted by citizens of the North African country in the first month of the year. They apparently come via Turkey, which means that Moroccans enter the country without a visa, and end up in Austria via the so-called Balkan route.

Migration and the war in Ukraine on the agenda
Nehammer, Karner and Launsky-Tieffenthal meet their counterparts in the Moroccan capital of Rabat. The Chancellor will talk with Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch and Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita about strengthening bilateral relations, EU-Morocco relations, the fight against illegal migration, Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and regional issues. In talks with Moroccan Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit, Karner will focus on cooperation on illegal migration.

Morocco is interesting as an electricity producer
Austria also sees great economic potential in Morocco, for example in the field of renewable energy or green hydrogen. This is hydrogen that is produced using renewable energy such as solar energy. Due to its high energy density, hydrogen is an interesting replacement for conventional fuels or natural gas. Morocco is also currently building a huge solar and wind power station, which is to be connected to Britain via a submarine power cable to meet the energy needs of seven million households by 2030.

Nehammer will also visit suppliers
According to the Federal Chancellery, a declaration on intensified cooperation between the Austrian Chamber of Commerce and the General Association of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM) will also be signed during the visit. Nehammer also wants to visit a Hirschmann Automotive factory in Kenitra with about 2,000 employees. The company is considered a successful example of nearshoring. This describes the efforts of European companies to bring their suppliers in low-wage countries closer to their home markets in order to minimize the problem of supply chain disruptions.

The visit lasts until Wednesday. On February 28, 1783, Morocco and the Habsburg Empire established diplomatic relations through Mohamed Ben Abdelmalek as ambassador to the then Sultan Moulay Mohamed III. presented his credentials to Emperor Joseph II in Vienna.

Morocco as a partner in the fight against illegal migration
Morocco has been able to strengthen its international position in recent years by establishing diplomatic relations with the State of Israel. The regime of King Mohammed VI. is accused of doing too little to fight poverty in the country. The monarch, who has been in power since 1999, is loved in the West for opposing Islamic fundamentalism and offering himself as a partner in the fight against illegal migration flows.

Source: Krone

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Share post:

Subscribe

Popular

More like this
Related

137 already registered. – Voluntary military service: 257 women registered

A year after the introduction of basic voluntary military...

Tusk speaks of a ‘pre-war’ era in Europe and advocates ‘a common defense’ of the EU borders

Russian President Vladimir Putin has labeled as 'complete nonsense'...

Couple in court – marital dispute with thrown pizza and vacuum cleaner cable

Sparks flew in a cinematic way between a 33-year-old...

Social media, AI – new holes for cyber attacks in companies

Anyone who hoped that the wave of cybercrime would...