The Royal Atlantic Initiative presented in Washington at a joint briefing by the Department of State and Morocco’s embassy
The U.S. Department of State and the Embassy of Morocco in Washington jointly organized a briefing on the latest developments in the Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation.
The Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation was launched in September 2023, as a multilateral forum heralding a new era in regional cooperation, where Morocco stands out as a founding member and active participant. The Partnership aims to usher in a new era of regional cooperation, forging closer ties between Atlantic nations across four continents. Its dual objectives are: to expand collaboration among Atlantic countries on shared goals and to champion a set of common principles for Atlantic cooperation.
Alongside the American initiative, Morocco pursued its own vision for structuring the African Atlantic space, as King Mohammed VI, in his November 6, 2023 speech, emphasized this ambition. «Our wish is that the Atlantic coast becomes a high place of human communion, a pole of economic integration, and a center of continental and international influence». He further announced that «Morocco has taken the initiative to create an institutional framework bringing together the 23 Atlantic African States with a view to consolidating security, stability, and shared prosperity in the region».
The Royal Atlantic Initiative took center stage during the briefing that was held at the headquarters of the Moroccan embassy in the presence of ambassadors and representatives of 39 Atlantic countries.
Moroccan ambassador to Washington, Youssef Amrani, highlighting the royal initiative’s potential to leverage Morocco’s Atlantic coast as a strategic hub for enhancing logistical connectivity, facilitating maritime and aerial trade exchanges, and bolstering economic growth.
He underscored Morocco’s active role in promoting a stable, prosperous, and inclusive Atlantic space, capable of fostering the socio-economic transformation of the entire region.
Amrani explained the goals of the royal initiative, which places the Atlantic at the heart of the bold and innovative vision of King Mohammed VI for the African continent, based on the principles of solidarity, cooperation, and co-development.
Referring to the structuring projects outlined within this Initiative, the ambassador specified that these concrete actions aim to create an economic corridor linking the Atlantic Africa to the northern and western hemispheres, in addition to facilitating access for Sahel countries to this maritime space.
Amrani stressed the importance of ensuring complementarity between the various initiatives aimed at building an expanded Atlantic space, and emphasized that it is in this spirit that the Kingdom actively participates in the Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation and co-chairs, with Spain and Angola, a working group on Marine Spatial Planning.
He insisted that for Morocco, the Atlantic constitutes a priority geostrategic zone, a vector of peace and sustainable development, which will establish, thanks to joint efforts, an essential dynamic space on the international stage.
During the briefing, the US coordinator for Atlantic cooperation, Jessica Lapenn, first thanked Morocco for its leadership and commitment to enhancing the Atlantic space.
Ms. Lapenn, who welcomed the exchange opportunity provided by this first in-person briefing for the diplomatic corps accredited in Washington, surveyed the shared values that promote the emergence of a common Atlantic identity.
The American official invited the countries member of the Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation to work closely together to overcome “similar challenges we face and seize integrated development perspectives, likely to ensure the sustainability of Atlantic Ocean resources for future generations.”
Besides the Royal Atlantic Initiative which seeks to streamline investment mechanisms in southern countries and promote the integration of value chains, particularly within the African-Arab-Latin American geo-economic sphere, rich in global primary resources, King Mohammed VI took another initiative to promote access to the Atlantic Ocean for the Sahel states.
The countries bordering the African Atlantic coast have convened three times at the ministerial level: in Rabat on June 8, 2022, in New York on September 23, 2022, on the sidelines of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, and again in Rabat on July 12, 2023.
The World Bank estimates the Atlantic Ocean’s contribution to the global economy at a staggering $1.5 trillion annually, predicting it will double by 2030.
