Port Authority values the regular Agadir–Las Palmas route
Within the Framework of the Visit of the Souss‑Massa Authorities
The president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, and his counterpart in the Moroccan region of Souss‑Massa, Karim Achengli, deepened a high‑level bilateral meeting in Gran Canaria on opportunities in the blue economy and tourism between the two territories.
The institutional visit, which gathered more than 80 representatives from the institutional, economic, academic and social sectors of Souss‑Massa, follows a previous delegation from the Canary Islands that visited Agadir in January. Clavijo stressed in a press conference that the earlier mission has already begun to “fructify.”
According to him, the fruits are visible in academia—through student exchanges and joint research projects between universities of both regions—and also in the port and maritime sectors.
The plenary agenda went beyond political protocol to involve the main actors of the extractive, logistics and academic fields. The presence of Beatriz Calzada, president of the Port Authority of Las Palmas, and Pedro Ortega, leader of the Canary business association, highlighted the importance of the port sector and services industry in this alliance.
From the Port Authority of Las Palmas, officials are exploring the possibility of establishing a regular line between Agadir and Las Palmas, using a formula that would facilitate commercial and business activities between the two communities.
On the Moroccan side, the participation of the presidents of the Confederation of Entrepreneurs and the Chamber of Commerce of Souss‑Massa, Driss Boutti and Said Dor, confirmed Agadir’s ambition to become the industrial hub of the southern Kingdom, relying on Canary infrastructure as a platform for internationalisation.
Clavijo recalled that, since the current mandate began in 2023, three Canary commercial missions to Morocco have already taken place—two of them with his direct participation—strengthening “opportunity ties” that span the blue economy, tourism, academia and water treatment.
“We are convinced that through cooperation and institutional loyalty we will generate great opportunities that will benefit our population,” the Canary president asserted.
Achengli echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that the mission “allows us to build a future together beyond our geographical proximity” in sectors such as agriculture, tourism, innovation and investment.
Both leaders admitted that it is still “difficult to quantify in millions of euros” the agreements that could be reached in the coming days.
“What is evident is that there is a will to improve maritime and air connectivity, and that will be decisive and fundamental for exchange relations, even for the trade balance,” explained Clavijo, adding that special interest lies in “the opportunity space that opens up with the blue economy and tourism.”
To ensure progress, Clavijo announced the creation of a monitoring commission and a technical commission that will supervise compliance and assess the benefits generated for all parties.
Criticisms
When questioned about the criticism his January visit to Agadir received—particularly from Gran Canaria council president Antonio Morales—Clavijo defended the need for global integration, arguing that a strategy of “protectionism, self‑absorption and isolation” is “wrong.”
“We must generate that Atlantic development space; Morocco’s policy follows that line with the Atlantic façade, and, of course, the work that has been done with the whole Macaronesia and West Africa environment, which is only 80 km away, is fundamental for the development of the Canary Islands and also the Souss‑Massa region,” he insisted.
He concluded that both regions seek, through these high‑level meetings, “to make the development of our regions an attraction” in an increasingly globalised world.