Agadir – Morocco and the European Union (EU) signed a strategic agreement in Brussels on Friday to extend the country’s participation in the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) for 2025-2027.
The agreement, which is based on an exchange of letters, was signed by Morocco’s Ambassador to the EU, Ahmed Reda Chami, and the European Commission’s Director-General for Research and Innovation Marc Lemaître.
Also present at the signing ceremony were Azzedine El Midaoui, Morocco’s Minister for Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, and Ekaterina Zaharieva, the European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation.
Under the agreement, Morocco will provide €6.6 million over a three-year period, reinforcing the two parties’ long-standing partnership in the field of scientific research and innovation.
El Midaoui and Zaharieva met before the signing ceremony, with the two officials seeking to identify opportunities to further enhance cooperation in the field of research and innovation as well as prospects for deepening their strategic partnership.
PRIMA is the biggest research and innovation initiative focused on the Mediterranean region, involving universities, research centers, startups, and private sector players.
The initiative focuses on joint research and innovation projects aimed at addressing key challenges like water scarcity, sustainable agriculture, food security, and climate resilience.
Since PRIMA’s launch in 2018, Moroccan teams have taken part in 152 out of 304 funded projects, securing a total of €28.4 million in financing.
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Of this amount, €13.6 million was provided by the European Commission, while €14.8 million came from Morocco, directly benefiting national research teams.
Morocco is currently coordinating six PRIMA projects, ranking fifth out of the 20 member countries of the PRIMA program. This achievement has positioned Morocco as one of the leading performers on the southern shore of the Mediterranean.
The recent appointment of a Moroccan professor to a leadership role within PRIMA’s governance structure constituted an acknowledgement of this momentum.
The Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation Azzedine El Midaoui said on the occasion of the opening ceremony of signing the agreement that the agreement reflects the strong and evolving partnership between Morocco and the European Union, particularly in advancing scientific research, innovation, and sustainable development.
He pointed out that this cooperation has recently been further reinforced following the fifteenth EU-Morocco Association Council held on January 29, 2026, which marked nearly three decades of collaboration grounded in mutual trust and shared interests.
“The signing of this agreement represents an important step in strengthening scientific cooperation between the Kingdom of Morocco, the European Union, and all partner countries of the PRIMA program,” El Midaoui said.
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