The Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans living abroad, Nasser Bourita, who is taking part in the work of the Russia-Africa Forum in Sochi, called for “listening and respecting the voice of Africa to the international”.
In his intervention during the 1st Ministerial Conference of this Forum, the minister underlined the importance “to recall certain fundamentals so that the African voice can be able to be heard and influence world affairs”.
“There can be no shared peace and prosperity in Africa for the benefit of the people of our region without strict respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its member states,” he argued, noting that there cannot be shared peace and prosperity on the continent without respecting the rules of good neighborliness between African states.
While recalling the imperative for the continent’s partners to abandon the logic of paternalism and supervision, Africa being capable of managing its problems, Bourita noted that there cannot be shared peace and prosperity. in Africa if certain African states establish themselves unilaterally and without any form of legitimacy as supposed leaders of the continent, while in reality they only act to serve strictly national agendas.
“It is at the cost of respecting these fundamental principles that the African voice will strengthen and weigh on world affairs,” he said, noting that “It’s not Africa that needs the rest of the world. In reality, it is the rest of the world that has a growing need for Africa.”
And to insist that the African continent “carries a unique voice throughout the world, that of a continent rich in its history and its diversity, proud to be the cradle of humanity, but also its future, with great economic and demographic potential”.
The Russia-Africa partnership, which has obvious growth potential, must be built on the fundamental priorities of the African continent, said Bourita, who noted in the perspective of the next Russia-Africa Summit, it would be desirable to“focus our thoughts on the prospects for cooperation between Africa and Russia, particularly in the areas of food security and energy security.”
“The Kingdom of Morocco is perfectly comfortable in this meeting between its continent of identity, and its strategic partner, which is Russia”he assured.
To conclude: “Morocco has always been constant and consistent on the pressing need to translate commitment into concrete actions, ambitious initiatives and structuring projects in the service of human development, food, energy and climate security – security in short “.
Note that this 1st Ministerial Conference, which brings together the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and the African States members of the United Nations, takes place following the Summits of Saint Petersburg (2023) and Sochi (2019).
It aims to take stock of the provisions of the Declarations adopted at these two Summits and to identify prospects for future-oriented cooperation, in order to better meet the expectations and aspirations of African States.
