ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Morocco are looking to turn growing political ties into more practical economic cooperation, with logistics, grain supplies, investment and renewable energy emerging as areas of particular potential, according to Mohammed Rashid Maaninou, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Kazakhstan.
Speaking to The Astana Times, the ambassador described Morocco as a “geostrategical hub” in Africa whose industrial base, port infrastructure and trade links can create opportunities for Kazakh businesses seeking access to wider markets. Mohammed Rashid Maaninou, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Kazakhstan spoke to The Astana Times correspondent Aida Haidar.
Photo credit: The Astana Times That positioning is increasingly relevant to Kazakhstan, particularly as the two countries explore ways to expand agricultural trade and address the logistical distance between Central Asia and African markets. Morocco imported Kazakh wheat for the first time last year, receiving two shipments of around 30,000 tonnes each.
The scale could increase significantly this year, Maaninou said. “We used to import our cereals from Ukraine, but now it’s impossible. Prices in the United States, Canada and Brazil are higher than the price of Kazakhstan’s wheat,” he said. The ambassador identified logistics as the main challenge in expanding this trade, given Kazakhstan’s landlocked geography, but said that Morocco’s Atlantic position could turn that constraint into a commercial opportunity.
“That’s why two years ago, we signed an agreement that there will be a huge stock of cereals that will be put in Morocco, managed by Kazakhstan in one of the Moroccan ports,” Maaninou said. Under the proposed arrangement, Kazakhstan would be able to bring grain in larger volumes, store it in Morocco and use the country as a distribution point for African markets.
The idea is increasingly being accompanied by direct business engagement. A Kazakh business delegation of around 30 people recently visited Morocco, while a Moroccan delegation is expected to visit Astana later this year. The two countries have also established a Kazakhstan-Morocco Business Council.
For the ambassador, these mechanisms are meant to create the conditions for businesses to develop commercial links. “Government is here only to open the doors and to make things legal, framework done and everything prepared,” he said. Beyond geography: a shared pragmatic outlook The discussion about connectivity also led to a broader question of how Kazakhstan and Morocco navigate their respective geopolitical environments.
Both countries have sought to maintain room for maneuver in their foreign relations, balancing ties with larger powers and pursuing practical partnerships without tying their strategies exclusively to one geopolitical bloc. Maaninou described such pragmatism not as neutrality, but as an ability to turn geopolitical constraints into strategic opportunities.