Latest news with #AtlanticAfricanStatesProcess
Maroc
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Maroc
French Expert Praises HM King Mohammed VI's Vision for Africa's Maritime Strategy
Franco-Swiss political analyst Jean Marie Heydt on Wednesday hailed the strategic vision of HM King Mohammed VI in strengthening Africa's maritime role, calling it a timely and ambitious initiative to harness the continent's oceanic potential. 'His Majesty King Mohammed VI has called for an innovative vision to develop Africa's oceanic assets,' Heydt said in comments to MAP following the Sovereign's message to the 'Africa for the Ocean' summit, held in Nice as part of the 3rd UN Ocean Conference. The message was delivered by Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Hasnaa, representing HM the King at the event. Heydt described HM the King's approach as 'bold and strategic,' aimed at repositioning Africa within the global maritime landscape while promoting sustainable development and reinforcing African sovereignty over marine resources. Despite being home to 38 coastal states and vast maritime zones, Africa remains underrepresented in international ocean governance, Heydt noted. The Sovereign's appeal, he said, advocates for a strategic reassessment of the continent's maritime priorities, grounded in shared responsibility and enhanced regional cooperation. The Royal vision, he added, focuses on three main pillars: technological innovation, environmental sustainability, and strengthened regional collaboration. He also commended Morocco's 'exemplary' commitment to sustainability and marine protection. Heydt cited the launch of the Atlantic African States Process under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI as a key milestone. 'The initiative aims to establish collective governance along Africa's Atlantic seaboard,' he said. Regional cooperation will be essential to advancing this agenda, Heydt added, noting Morocco's strategic geographic position at the crossroads of Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, as well as its stability and diplomatic reach, make it a key facilitator. He concluded that HM the King's call for a renewed African maritime strategy reflects a comprehensive and forward-looking vision, positioning Morocco as a credible and influential actor in shaping Africa's ocean policy. MAP: 12 June 2025
Maroc
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Maroc
Ghana's FM Hails Royal Initiatives, Expresses Admiration for HM the King's Leadership & Strong Commitment to Peace, Stability and Development in Africa
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Ghana Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa hailed here on Thursday 05 June the Royal Initiatives, and expressed admiration for the leadership and strong commitment of His Majesty King Mohammed VI in favor of peace, stability and development in Africa. In a joint Communiqué issued following his meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates Nasser Bourita, Okudzeto Ablakwa hailed the leadership and laudable contribution of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to the international Community's efforts to promote peace, stability and development in Africa. In this context, he expressed his country's commitment to further enshrine cooperation with the Kingdom of Morocco in various areas of cooperation. The two ministers further welcomed the momentum generated within the framework of the Atlantic African States Process to turn the Atlantic African space into a geostrategic framework offering major opportunities for synergy and cooperation among its countries. These opportunities include strategic areas such as the environment, food security, health, energy, logistical interconnection, pooling resources and exchange of experience, therefore forming an area of co-emergence and stability. Okudzeto Ablakwa also lauded His Majesty the King's initiative to promote Sahel countries' access to the Atlantic Ocean, underlining the strategic importance of this Initiative, which forms part of Morocco's active solidarity with sister African countries. (MAP: 05 June 2025)
Maroc
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Maroc
Foreign Ministers Hail Morocco's Leadership in Advancing Atlantic African States Process
Foreign Ministers of several countries participating in the Atlantic African States Process (AASP) commended, on Thursday in Praia, the Kingdom of Morocco's consistent support and leadership in effectively advancing the AASP initiative and strengthening this framework for dialogue and cooperation. In a statement to MAP on the sidelines of the 5th ministerial meeting of the AASP held in Cape Verde's capital, the ministers recalled that holding a ministerial meeting of the AASP alligns with the vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to transform the African Atlantic space into a zone of peace, stability, and shared prosperity. In this context, Cape Verde's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and Regional Integration, José Fiomeno de Carvalho Dias, highlighted Morocco's unwavering support and the decisive role of the Process's permanent secretariat, based in Rabat, whose coordination has been essential to the progress of this initiative. Cape Verde's top diplomat also reiterated his country's full readiness to continue working in a coordinated manner with all member states in favor of an Atlantic region of peace, prosperity, and shared development. For his part, Gambia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Gambians Abroad, Mamadou Tangara, affirmed that this 5th ministerial meeting illustrates Morocco's leadership and proves that this process "belongs to all of us," noting that the vision stems from the wisdom of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, who has always advocated for the Atlantic space to be "a space of solidarity, peace, and prosperity." The Minister of Foreign Affairs of São Tomé and Príncipe, Ilza Maria dos Santos Amado Vaz, described the meeting as "very positive" and reaffirmed her country's commitment to define and implement strategies based on political dialogue. Ghana's Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, also praised the royal initiative as a suitable platform for strengthening cooperation among countries of the Atlantic space. In this context, the minister called for intensified cooperation on security to address rising threats in the Atlantic area, including criminal and piracy activities. In a similar statement, the Director General of the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI), Mohamed Methqal, emphasized the importance of this ministerial meeting, as it serves to implement His Majesty the King's initiative promoting peace, shared prosperity, and the vitality of the Atlantic coast. Methqal also stressed that the meeting led to the adoption of the first implementation report of the initiative since its launch, and formalized various recommendations made by several ministers, along with the scheduling of the next ministerial meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September 2025. MAP: 08 mai 2025
Maroc
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Maroc
For His Majesty the King, Atlantic Africa is a Geostrategic Heart and a Matrix of Innovation & Resilience
'For His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, Atlantic Africa must not be seen as a periphery of the global world. Rather, it is a geostrategic heartland, a dynamic interface between continents, a cradle of innovation and resilience', Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates Nasser Bourita said on Thursday in Praia, Cape Verde. Speaking at the 5th ministerial meeting of the Atlantic African States Process (AASP), Bourita stressed that 'our responsibility is to transform this vision into a concrete, visible and tangible reality'. In this context, he underlined that the Atlantic African Partnership is more than a strategic tool, as it is also a political, economic and human process. He noted that this partnership embodies the aspiration of an Africa that no longer endures the shifting tides of history, but instead confidently chooses its own path, guided by clarity and unity with. On this occasion, Bourita reaffirmed Morocco's unwavering commitment to advancing this momentum, to guarantee its continuity and to expand its reach. Welcoming the keenness, coherence, steadfastness and collective determination of the AASP countries to put the Atlantic African space in a momentum of action, solidarity and co-prosperity, the Minister noted that 'the Atlantic African space is no longer disregarded geographically. It is now a strategic, endogenous and accepted reality'. It is 'a reality driven by a shared conviction: that our future will be safer, more prosperous and more sustainable if we build it together', he insisted. Bourita then pointed out that the Royal Initiative has resulted in an unprecedented Afro-African partnership, embodying the essence of shared responsibility, adding that it has laid the foundations for a new cooperation paradigm - both pragmatic in its approach and ambitious in its aims, namely sustainable development, maritime security, environmental protection, and the fight against transnational threats. 'Today, Atlantic Africa is at an inflection point. It is scrutinized, courted, but also confronted with multiple, systemic and cross-cutting threats', Bourita added. He urged African Atlantic States, at a time of setting geostrategic spaces in Europe, America and Asia, to make 'an audible, credible and effective call', by taking care to 'strengthen our trans-regional anchoring, widen the spheres of cooperation and deepen our synergies'. 'This is not just a political ambition, but a necessity for sovereignty and development', the Minister stated, adding that 'it is embodied in the empirical approach we are pursuing together'. "The Forum of Ministers of Justice (April 2024), the meeting of Speakers of Parliaments (February 2025), and the Conference on Maritime Security and the Fight against Terrorism (January 2025), are all milestones that have broadened our scope of action and deepened the coherence of our approach". In keeping with this empirical structure, the Praia meeting is an opportunity for a clear assessment and strategic projection, the Minister underlined, noting that the implementation report confirms that this partnership is progressing well, identifying tangible actions and putting forward pertinent recommendations. These recommendations include the organization of sectoral meetings, such as the Ministers of Justice meeting, which reflected the effectiveness of a multi-sectoral and decentralized approach; the establishment of national coordination mechanisms, which are essential for coordinating internal State actions with the regional dynamics of the Process; and the inclusion of aquaculture in action plans, as a strategic field at the crossroads of food security, employment and environmental sustainability, he explained. Morocco fully commits to these recommendations and is ready to contribute actively, through the expertise of its institutions, the sharing of its experiences and the mobilization of its partners, Bourita affirmed. The Minister concluded by calling on joint efforts to transform the African Atlantic into 'a lever for unity, an engine for shared prosperity and a bulwark of stability'. MAP: 08 mai 2025
Morocco World
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Morocco's Atlantic African Leadership Wins Ministerial Praise
Doha – Foreign Ministers gathered at the 5th ministerial meeting of the Atlantic African States Process (AASP) in Praia praised Morocco's growing regional leadership role on Thursday. They commended the country's efforts in advancing the initiative aimed at transforming the African Atlantic space into a zone of peace and prosperity. Cape Verde's Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Fiomeno de Carvalho Dias, pointed to Morocco's crucial support. 'The decisive role of the Process's permanent secretariat based in Rabat has been essential to the progress of this initiative,' he told MAP news agency. Dias confirmed Cape Verde's commitment to continue working with all member states. The goal remains creating 'an Atlantic region of peace, prosperity, and shared development.' Gambia's Foreign Minister Mamadou Tangara credited Morocco's leadership while noting the initiative 'belongs to all of us.' He said the vision originates from 'the wisdom of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, who has always advocated for the Atlantic space to be a space of solidarity, peace, and prosperity.' For her part, São Tomé and Príncipe's Foreign Minister Ilza Maria dos Santos Amado Vaz described the meeting as 'very positive.' She reaffirmed her country's commitment to implement strategies based on political dialogue. Ghana's Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa praised the royal initiative as 'a suitable platform for strengthening cooperation.' He called for increased security cooperation to address rising threats in the Atlantic area, including criminal and piracy activities. Mohamed Methqal, Director General of the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation, affirmed the meeting's key purpose. The gathering 'serves to implement His Majesty the King's initiative promoting peace, shared prosperity, and the vitality of the Atlantic coast,' he stated. The meeting adopted the first implementation report since the initiative's launch. Ministers formalized various recommendations and scheduled the next ministerial meeting for September, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. 'Atlantic Africa cannot be a periphery' Morocco's Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita addressed participants by stressing that the partnership 'is not just a strategic instrument, but also a political, economic, and human process.' 'Our duty is to make it a reality, a visible, tangible and sustainable reality,' Bourita said. He reaffirmed 'the full determination of the Kingdom of Morocco to advance this dynamic, guarantee its continuity, and strengthen its scope.' Bourita pointed to major initiatives reflecting Morocco's approach. These include the Forum of Ministers of Justice in April 2024, the Presidents of Parliaments meeting in February 2025, and the Conference on Maritime Security and Counterterrorism in January 2025. 'For His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Atlantic Africa cannot be a periphery of the global world. It is a geostrategic heart, a dynamic interface between continents,' Bourita declared. The initiative connects with Morocco's plan to provide landlocked Sahel countries access to the Atlantic Ocean. This project centers on the Dakhla Atlantique complex in Western Sahara, expected to be completed by late 2028. The first ministerial meeting of African Atlantic states took place in August 2010 in Rabat. After a 13-year pause, the initiative was reactivated in June 2022. King Mohammed VI's speech on November 6, 2023, placed the African Atlantic states at the center of Morocco's African policy. Through this initiative, Morocco continues to strengthen its position as an emerging African power working for an integrated continent. Tags: Atlantic initiativeMorocco and Africa
