The Atlantic Initiative launched by His Majesty King Mohammed VI opens promising prospects for strengthening economic connectivity and investment between West Africa and the rest of the continent, as well as with international markets, Speaker of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Mémounatou Ibrahima, said on Friday in Marrakech.
Speaking at the opening of the 4th Marrakech Parliamentary Economic Forum for the Euro-Mediterranean and Gulf region, Ibrahima stressed that “these opportunities must be seized to strengthen the existing bridges between our regions in the interest of present and future generations,” reaffirming her commitment to enhancing parliamentary cooperation in the service of peace, regional integration and sustainable development.
She also expressed her deep gratitude to His Majesty King Mohammed VI for His efforts to promote dialogue, social inclusion and South-South cooperation in Africa and beyond, noting that this vision serves as a source of inspiration for parliamentary and institutional efforts aimed at addressing global challenges.
The ECOWAS Parliament Speaker noted that the world is facing growing economic and technological challenges amid wars and international tensions, stressing the importance of integrating into global value chains and strengthening regional integration through trade.
In this context, she considered the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) a strategic opportunity for the continent, capable of contributing to sustainable development in line with the ECOWAS Parliament’s Vision 2050, which seeks to support economic transformation across the region.
For his part, President of the African Parliamentarians’ Network on Development Evaluation, Abdelilah Hifdi, highlighted the importance of the Forum as a platform for dialogue among political institutions, economic actors and development partners. He noted that the participation of parliamentary organizations from Africa, the Arab world, the Euro-Mediterranean region and Latin America reflects a shared awareness of the need to address the challenges of the 21st century.
Hifdi pointed out that the world is undergoing profound transformations marked by escalating geopolitical tensions, rapid technological developments, including artificial intelligence, environmental challenges, debt pressures, food security concerns and the reconfiguration of global value chains, all of which are affecting regional balances.
He further affirmed that Morocco is advancing an ambitious vision of cooperation and economic integration capable of fostering a broad framework of cooperation linking Africa, the Euro-Mediterranean region, the Arab world, the Gulf countries and Latin America around shared interests and aspirations.
Organized by the House of Councillors and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean,the 4th Marrakech Parliamentary Economic Forum for the Euro-Mediterranean and Gulf region forms part of the momentum generated since the Forum’s creation to establish a leading parliamentary economic platform dedicated to dialogue and consultation among parliamentarians, policymakers and economic stakeholders on development issues and economic challenges of common interest.
