Morocco Underscores Relevance of South-South Cooperation on Africa Day
The celebration of the international Africa Day is an occasion to shed light on the South-south cooperation approach adopted by Morocco under the leadership of King Mohammed VI yielding concrete projects that address the continent’s pressing challenges.
By matching words with action, Morocco geared the bulk of its foreign direct investments to help African countries, becoming the first African investor in west Africa and the second at the continental level.
Speaking at a parliament event commemorating Africa Day, Minister delegate to African Affairs, Mouhcine Jazouli, said that Morocco’s trade with Africa quadrupled in the last decade hitting 35 billion dirhams in 2016.
Africa now takes pride of place in Morocco’s foreign policy thanks to efforts led by King Mohammed VI who paid 50 visits to 30 African countries, Jazouli said.
Among the projects reflecting the co-development approach of the Kingdom, the Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic gas pipeline project, which will help West Africa bolster its energy security, develop its industrial fabric, improve its economic competitiveness and speed up its social development, while channeling Nigerian gas as far as Europe.
These projects also include the construction of fertilizer plants in Ethiopia and Nigeria as well as human development projects designed to improve the living conditions of African citizens, such as the creation of healthcare facilities, vocational training institutions and fishermen’s villages.
As soon as Morocco regained its place in Africa’s institutional family, the African Union, King Mohammed VI was designated leader on the thorny issue of migration. He put forward an African vision for migration with the African Union adopting the Kingdom’s proposal to set up a migration observatory.
At the security level, Morocco was elected member of the African Union Peace and Security Council. The Kingdom will thus have a new podium to contribute to Africa’s stability and security building on a longstanding contribution to UN peacekeeping efforts.
