It is in keeping with its tradition that Maroc Diplomatique is organizing the second edition of the annual MD Sahara Forum. As for the first, the second forum, held in Dakhla on March 3, 4 and 5, 2023, is placed under the theme: “Morocco in Africa: A Royal choice for a global and integrated continent”. It aims to highlight the central role of Morocco in the socio-economic development of Africa. A role consolidated by the important place of the Kingdom on the African continent, in particular in the strategic choices of its foreign policy, which aims for an integrated and mutually beneficial development and a diplomacy which has always known how to keep an African and proactive orientation.
In this regard, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Nasser Bourita, delivered a speech read by the Director of African Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Lamia Radi.
Here is the full speech.
« Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Heads of Diplomatic Missions accredited to the Kingdom,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is with real pleasure that I take part today in this 2nd edition of the MD Sahara Forum, organized by the magazine “Maroc Diplomatique” under the theme “Morocco in Africa, a royal choice for a global and integrated continent”.
I would like to salute the organizers for the chosen theme and their relevant choice of the city of Dakhla to host the work of this 2nd Edition, showing the interest that our country has in the influence of the southern provinces and reinforces the position of this magnificent city in as a regional hub and our country’s gateway to Africa.
I would also like to thank the teams of the organizing committee of this event, the partners or the competent local and administrative authorities who have worked to make possible the organization of this forum which brings together prestigious speakers, officials, decision-makers, analysts and experts from Morocco and elsewhere.
My intervention will focus on the reasons that motivated this royal choice and its beneficial effects on the exemplary development of relations between the Kingdom of Morocco and our African continent.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
In accordance with the Vision of His Majesty the King, may God assist him, Morocco’s African policy has today reached a new threshold, a new level in terms of its geographical scope, its content, the nature of its projects and its institutional dimension.
The Kingdom has moved to a dense and multidimensional policy by forging multisectoral partnerships, established according to a global, integrated and inclusive approach aimed at promoting peace and stability, fostering sustainable human development and preserving the cultural and spiritual identity of the African peoples.
The reintegration by Morocco of its institutional Family within the African Union has enabled our country to get involved in the various sectoral development strategies in Africa and to contribute effectively to them by enriching them with the experience that Morocco has accumulated in many sectors.
Since his accession to the Throne of His Glorious Ancestors, His Majesty King Mohammed VI has made official visits to different regions of the continent, reflecting in many ways His laudable and strategic Vision to hoist the Kingdom’s cooperative relations with African countries towards an active and united strategic partnership. Evidenced by the magnitude
investments made and projects inaugurated in agriculture, housing, telecommunications, banks and basic infrastructure as well as the strengthening of trade.
Since the year 2000, Morocco has concluded, in various areas of cooperation, more than 1000 agreements with African countries, thus providing its expertise and sharing its know-how with its African peers in order to materialize the ambitions of a new model. mutually beneficial South-South cooperation, involving public/private formulas and triangular cooperation with northern partners.
The implementation of this model is already materialized by a strong presence of Moroccan companies in Africa, thus making the Kingdom the second largest African investor in the continent and the first in the West African region.
The Royal Visits also led to the implementation of large-scale strategic projects, including the Morocco-Nigeria Gas Pipeline project which will benefit all of West Africa and contribute to structuring a regional electricity market, and will constitute a substantial source of energy in the service of industrial development, the improvement of economic competitiveness and the acceleration of social development.
I would like here to reaffirm the Kingdom’s attachment to the pan-African ideals of solidarity, cooperation, peace and development, as well as its resolute will to consolidate, in accordance with the High Guidelines of His Majesty the King, the spirit of unity, solidarity and coordination around strategic themes of common interest for better integration and sustainable development of our continent.
A desire that goes hand in hand with the objectives of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 for the achievement of an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, representing a force on the international scene, and whose responsibility lies with us to build it into a privileged instrument for our united and concerted collective action.
A vision of regional integration which is also reinforced by the Kingdom’s membership of the Continental Free Trade Area (ZLECAF), the operationalization of which will open up a market of 1.2 billion consumers and increase intra-African trade.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Although rightly considered the cradle of humanity, Africa unfortunately continues to face the horrors of instability and terrorism as well as the consequences of health, climate and food crises. Challenges that are certainly numerous but surmountable.
As a committed partner for peace and security in Africa, Morocco, which in May 2022 hosted the work of the Ministerial Meeting of the International Anti-Daesh Coalition, is contributing to the efforts of the international community to restore peace. peace and stability.
The Kingdom also continues to make available to brotherly and friendly African countries who so wish, all its experience and resources to help them establish and preserve security and peace in their countries.
Being at the center of the current concerns of our continent and the entire world, food security is also one of the major security challenges and a major pillar for the acceleration of the development of human, economic and social capital in Africa.
It is clear that Africa has great agricultural potential, the exploitation of which unfortunately does not meet the growing food needs of its galloping demography, which will increase from 1.5 billion people in 2030 to 02 billion in 2050.
Despite significant progress in managing and preventing food crises, more than 282 million people suffer from malnutrition in Africa.
Accentuated by the consequences linked to the global health crisis of COVID-19, malnutrition does not spare any African country and locks entire populations into a cycle of vulnerability. Due to its negative effects on the development of human capital and its productivity, malnutrition contributes to retarding the economic and social development of African countries, with unacceptable human consequences on African people, communities and nations.
In addition to the climate of instability and insecurity that prevails in several regions of the Continent, epidemics, locust invasions, the instability of international food markets, climate change, in particular drought, aggravate the phenomenon of food insecurity at the continental level.
It is in this spirit that His Majesty the King launched, on the occasion of COP22, the “Triple A” initiative with the aim of advocating for food security in Africa and ensuring awareness of the challenges of agriculture in international negotiations (Africa only attracted 4% of the funding allocated to agriculture in 2022).
Similarly, the launch by His Majesty the King of large-scale fertilizer production projects in several African countries attests to the Kingdom’s united vision of contributing to food security in Africa.
Consolidating the fruitful partnership in the agricultural field established by the Kingdom with many African countries, these initiatives are in line with the policy of South-South Cooperation advocated by His Majesty the King who, through concrete actions, provide support for efforts in the context of the ambitious goals set in the African Union’s Malabo Declaration of 2025, and the World Health Assembly and Agenda 2030 targets for Sustainable Development.
On another aspect and in accordance with the Vision of His Majesty the King for the mobilization of solidarity actions to strengthen the continent’s resilience against epidemics, Morocco started, at the end of 2022, with the industrial unit for the manufacture of covid vaccines. and other vaccines, located in Ben Slimane, the production of 20 million doses of vaccines and plans to produce from 2025 more than 2 billion doses.
This initiative constitutes the extension of the solidarity actions of the Kingdom towards its home continent and emanates from its deep conviction in its quest for unity with a shared destiny.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I cannot close my speech without once again welcoming you to your second homeland, Morocco, and wishing you a good progress in your work, which I am convinced will experience very interesting exchanges.
The issues addressed by this Forum are numerous and the expectations of the population are high. However, optimism must guide our common action, because as His Majesty the King said, God help him “Africa must trust Africa”.
Thank you.«
