Morocco continues its efforts to attract international investments in the defense industry, a key topic during the visit of Slovak Minister of Foreign Affairs, Juraj Blanár, to Rabat on Thursday, accompanied by Minister of Defense Robert Kaliňák and a high-level military delegation, including senior officials from Slovak companies specializing in the defense sector.
During a joint press conference following his meeting with his Slovak counterpart, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita stated that Morocco and Slovakia will work to strengthen relations across various sectors by encouraging ministerial visits in specific areas such as agriculture, energy, and defense industry. He also emphasized the importance of encouraging business exchanges, envisioning Slovakia as Morocco's gateway to Eastern Europe, and Morocco as Slovakia’s entry point to West Africa.
For his part, the Slovak Minister reiterated his country’s interest in boosting relations with Morocco across several sectors, including the defense industry. He pointed out during the press conference that he was visiting the Moroccan capital Rabat with the Minister of Defense and executives from Slovakia's top defense companies.
Slovakia is recognized as one of Europe’s key players in the defense industry, having built extensive expertise over the past decades in manufacturing artillery and advanced ground combat systems, according to several specialized defense industry reports. The country boasts a highly developed industrial base and a defense sector aligned with NATO technical standards, especially in ammunition, self-propelled howitzers, and command-and-control technologies.
Among the Slovak defense companies present during the visit is Konštrukta Defence, the primary developer of the Zuzana 2 self-propelled howitzer, a modern artillery system known for its long firing range and precision targeting. The company also produces a lighter and more mobile version known as EVA, tailored for rapid deployments and tactical operations.
Reports also highlight other Slovak companies in the defense sector, such as ZVS Holding, which specializes in medium and heavy ammunition production, MSM Group, offering diverse solutions in military maintenance and equipment renewal, and DMD Group, a comprehensive industrial cluster engaged in designing and developing land-based defense systems and technologies.
In this context, a communiqué from the National Defense Administration revealed that Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of National Defense Administration, Abdellatif Loudiyi, received on Thursday Slovakia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Robert Kaliňák, accompanied by a prominent military delegation and senior executives from Slovak defense companies, as part of an official working visit to Morocco.
According to the statement, the two ministers discussed a range of bilateral and regional issues, as well as ways and means to enhance bilateral cooperation in the defense sector. Loudiyi emphasized the strategic importance of Morocco’s defense industry, describing it as a major initiative receiving royal attention. He recalled that Morocco offers an attractive investment environment in this sector, supported by a robust package of incentives to launch joint defense cooperation projects.
The Slovak Defense Minister noted that this visit is part of broader efforts to diversify and strengthen bilateral cooperation between Slovakia and Morocco. He also said it aims to explore investment opportunities in Morocco’s defense sector, given the favorable business climate and Morocco’s strategic location, which facilitates access to African markets for Slovak companies.
This bilateral meeting is expected to mark the beginning of meaningful cooperation between the two countries in the defense industry. It also opens the door for Slovak arms manufacturers to join other countries that have already invested in Morocco’s defense sector, such as India, Turkey, and Israel.
