Saturday, June 29, 2024 at 1:54 p.m.
Casablanca – The Royal Initiative for the Atlantic aims to enable the African Atlantic coast to become a place of communion, shared prosperity, acceleration of regional economic integration and influence on a continental and international scale, affirmed the Ambassador, Director General of the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI), Mohamed Methqal.
“His Majesty King Mohammed VI wanted the vision of Atlantic Africa to enable the continent, and in particular this Atlantic coast, to become a place of communion, shared prosperity, acceleration of regional economic integration and influence both on a continental and international scale,” said Mr. Methqal, who was speaking at the 7th International Africa Development Forum (FIAD), held on June 27 and 28 in Casablanca.
The CEO of AMCI also highlighted the three dimensions through which the Royal Atlantic initiative could materialize in partnership and in particular in co-construction with all the countries on this Atlantic coast.
In this sense, he stressed the importance of capitalizing on the institutional platform that Morocco created a few years ago, which allows the governments of the 23 Atlantic African countries to meet in working groups to discuss several topics such as the blue economy, sustainable development, security, infrastructure and connectivity.
In addition, Mr. Methqal underlined the need to accelerate, on the scale of the continent and particularly on this Atlantic coast, the structuring projects launched which concern the development of the maritime dimension through fishing, but also of the entire component industry around maritime fishing.
These also include components related to infrastructure, connectivity and tourism, in addition to the development of industrial integration with logistics zones and trade corridors, he added.
The CEO of AMCI, at the same time, emphasized the importance of capitalizing on transformational projects of continental dimension, such as the Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic gas pipeline which is capable of contributing to transforming and accelerating economic integration. regional and to have sustainable human development in these countries, improve their access to their food security, promote industrial development and industrial colocation in the service of the African continent.
Furthermore, Mr. Methqal noted that the international initiative of HM King Mohammed VI to promote access for Sahel countries to the Atlantic Ocean is fully integrated into the Royal Initiative for the Atlantic.
“The Sovereign, always in this spirit of active solidarity, wanted, by developing this Atlantic coastline, also to benefit the countries of the Sahel which are today landlocked. These countries also all share the same challenges of the Atlantic coastline and they have common vocations, particularly around agriculture, mining and with potential in the fields of solar and energy,” he continued.
Mr. Methqal also stressed that the projects underway today in the southern provinces, the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline, the projects launched in other countries in terms of electrical interconnection, connectivity infrastructure, the Sahel-Atlantic trade corridor with the various dry ports or integrated economic zones, should make it possible to achieve the ambition advocated by His Majesty the King, to make this zone, composed of the 23 Atlantic countries and the 4 Sahel countries, that of prosperity and shared stability.
Held at the initiative of the Africa Development Club of the Attijariwafa bank group, in partnership with the Pan-African Fund Al Mada, this forum was also an opportunity for the CEO of AMCI to review the vision held by His Majesty the King for contribute to accelerating the co-emergence of Africa.
This edition of the FIAD brought together a community of leading policy makers, international institutions, economic operators and media from more than 30 countries on the continent.
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