The Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline megaproject, the Africa-Atlantic Initiative, the huge investments of large Moroccan groups in Africa, the cancellation of the debt of the least developed African countries and the development and preservation of the Pangalanes Canal in Madagascar, are actions among others that illustrate the special attention paid by the Sovereign to the development of Africa.
Since his enthronement, HM the King has breathed new life into the Morocco-Africa partnership, driven by an unwavering faith in the common destiny and the imperative to pool efforts to enable Africa to occupy the rank that is its due.
Thanks to this Royal will, Morocco has established fruitful partnerships with various African countries. Nearly 1,500 cooperation agreements now bind the Kingdom to the states of the continent, reflecting the constant commitment of the Sovereign to a rich and diversified inter-African cooperation.
This commitment to a prosperous Africa has never wavered, being at the heart of the Kingdom’s foreign policy, which has always ensured that the Continent is at the heart of its strategic choices.
“Africa is a choice of heart and reason. It is a clear and voluntary choice, materialized by Our commitment through numerous initiatives that energize and promote inter-African cooperation and economic development. A choice to make investment today a driver of economic and social development and regional and continental integration in Africa,” His Majesty the King affirmed in a message addressed to the Launch Conference of the African Sovereign Investors Forum in July 2022.
To realize the Royal vision of a prosperous Africa, the Sovereign has made numerous visits to various countries on the continent, where He has launched major projects in the service of “win-win” partnerships.
Among these flagship projects intended to promote regional integration, there is the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline, the launching ceremony of which was chaired in 2016 in Abuja by His Majesty King Mohammed VI and former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari.
In this same spirit, the Kingdom has created an institutional framework bringing together the 23 Atlantic African States to consolidate shared prosperity in the region. The Sovereign said, in this sense, that he was convinced that this Initiative, which aims to promote access for the Sahel States to the Atlantic Ocean, “will substantially transform the economy of these brother countries and, beyond that, the entire region.”
In the opinion of many foreign officials, this ambitious Initiative, which is in line with His Majesty the King’s multidimensional approach to the continent, will bring about a real transformation within the region.
This Initiative “aims to create a space for development, solidarity and stability on the continent,” said Gambian Foreign Minister Mamadou Tangara in a statement to MAP on the occasion of the glorious Throne Day.
A point of view shared by the Vice President of the Republic of El Salvador, Félix Ulloa, for whom this pioneering Initiative “is likely to consolidate regional economic integration and promote an environment conducive to growth and sustainable development.”
In this sense, the Pan-African Parliament also described as “ambitious and inclusive” this vision of the Sovereign, which tends towards the realization of the dream of a prosperous and interconnected Africa.
Another generous act in favour of the continent is Morocco’s decision to cancel the debt of the least developed African countries, while completely exempting their products from customs duties upon entry to the Moroccan market.
HM the King’s initiatives for an Africa that asserts itself are not limited to the public sector. In addition to the inter-state commissions set up during Royal visits to Africa, the Kingdom ensures an increasingly active role for the private sector, with a view to enabling Africa to establish itself as a preferred destination for both Moroccan and foreign investments.
2024-08-23 16:54:02