Fastiad opens new perspectives to companies trading with Morocco and Africa

Dear Friends of FASTİAD,

The Fas and African Industrialists and Businessmen Association (FASTİAD) is a business association established in 2015, serving as the new bridge between the enchanting country of Morocco, Africa, and Turkey. Our association was founded with the participation of Moroccan, African, and Turkish members. I must admit that I was truly surprised by the overwhelming demand for membership that followed immediately after the establishment phase. Once again, I witnessed the appropriateness of our decision to embark on this association. Our association, with its headquarters located in Istanbul, has chosen the district of Fatih as its central office, which can be defined as an important cultural and commercial hub.

In response to the high demand from our friends in Morocco, we have recently opened two representations in the country, specifically in Casablanca and Rabat. The main purpose of these establishments is to direct companies that have not yet ventured into Morocco, who have not considered selling their products there, towards the country. We aim to open new perspectives for companies engaged in trade with Morocco and Africa, revitalize commercial transactions among firms, address any potential issues on-site and in a timely manner, explore new markets, and inform our members about government support in this regard.

We wanted "EXPORT" to be a magical word for our members. We aimed for them to be able to sell their products or services anywhere in the world. We wanted to be alongside the businesspeople who turn our national brands into global ones. Our slogan is to connect Europe, Asia, and Africa through the commercial unity of Morocco and Turkey, just like a bridge, as reflected in the name of our magazine. We aimed to create a connection to announce collaboration offers from Turkey and Morocco to our members. We wanted to organize our Moroccan, African, and Turkish businessmen in delegations to foster new partnerships.

We aimed to showcase our country and the progress we have achieved in trade by hosting businesspeople, government officials, and representatives from abroad, especially from Morocco and Africa, in our country and region. Moreover, we wanted to emphasize the hospitality of the Turkish people and entrepreneurs. Instead of leaving everything to the executives, both as individuals and members, we have pondered on how we can take these commercial relationships to higher goals. We will work on exploring what we can do within our roles as businesspeople to advance these relationships.

We wholeheartedly believe that there is no product that cannot be produced for the Turkish people and entrepreneurs, and likewise, there is no country where exports cannot be made. New products and new markets will always be our targets. With these sentiments and thoughts in mind, we have chosen the motto "I want to sell products made in Turkey to Morocco, Africa, and products made in Morocco, Africa in Turkey" as the cover theme for our first issue. We attach great importance to this motto.

We see exports as a solution to the current account deficit issue, especially for both brother countries (Turkey and Morocco) and other African nations. We believe that exports will contribute to the formation of global brands, and we anticipate that it will lead to strategic development in sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, and textiles. In conclusion, we firmly believe that the strong companies of Morocco, Africa, and Turkey can achieve their goals through a robust foreign trade strategy.

We are honored and delighted to be with you, our valued readers, in this inaugural issue. With your contributions and feedback, we hope to achieve many more successful endeavors together. On behalf of our association and the board of directors, we extend our respect and gratitude to our fellow members and friends who have contributed to this publication. We wish you health, prosperity, and days filled with fruitful gains.

 

Dr. Faruk ÇETİN

The President of the Association of Moroccan and African Industrialists and Businessmen