Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa, Dr Andrew Murrison and Moroccan Foreign Minister, Nasser Bourita.
South West Wiltshire MP Dr. Andrew Murrison was recently re-appointed Trade Envoy to Morocco. Dr Murrison has a long association with Morocco. He is a former Minister for North Africa and the Middle East and ex-chair of the Morocco All Party Parliamentary Group. He has an important Moroccan ex-pat community in his constituency.
Dr Murrison said: “I’m delighted to be asked to do this and look forward to promoting trade between the two Kingdoms in the post Brexit environment.”
In October 2019, as Minister of State at the Foreign Office, he signed the post-Brexit trade association agreement with Morocco. Welcoming the agreement, Dr Andrew Murrison said:
“The UK and Morocco have a close friendship and an important diplomatic history that is over 800 years old. The signing of this Agreement builds on the UK’s deep cultural, political and economic ties with the region and demonstrates our commitment to increase trade and constructive dialogue with Morocco”.
“Importantly, the Agreement will give exporters and consumers the certainty they need to continue trading freely and in confidence as the UK prepares to leave the EU. The agreement will ensure British businesses and consumers benefit from continued trade with Morocco after we leave the EU. It provides, among other benefits, tariff-free trade of industrial products together with liberalisation of trade in agricultural, agri-food and fisheries products”.
Trade between the UK and Morocco was worth £2.5 billion in 2018.
Dr. Murrison (born 24 April 1961) is a British doctor, naval officer and politician. After serving as the Conservative Party Member of Parliament (MP) for Westbury from 2001 to 2010, at the 2010 general election he was elected for the new seat of South West Wiltshire.
On 12 July 2017, Dr. Murrison was elected chair of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee. On 9 May 2019, he was appointed Minister of State at the Department for International Development and Minister for the Middle East at the Foreign Office, a post he held until the reshuffle of February 2020.
Until 2000, he served in the Royal Navy as a medical officer and retired with the rank of Surgeon-Commander.
Trade Envoys
Envoys are a network of PM appointed parliamentarians, drawn from across the political spectrum. They envoys engage with one or more emerging markets where substantial trade and investment opportunities have been identified by UK government. They support the drive for economic growth by building on the UK’s existing relations with these markets and maximising bilateral trade, thereby generating real and long-term benefits for the UK. The Trade Envoy programme began in 2012 and continues to go from strength to strength.
Morocco Gold looks forward to working with the new Trade Envoy to build on the strong working relationships we now have and to bring our wonderful extra virgin olive oil to food lovers in the UK and beyond.
