Rabat Hosts Meeting of Senior Officials of Atlantic African States Initiative

Posted on by

Senior officials of the Atlantic African States started, Tuesday in Rabat, a two-day meeting during which they will consider the review of the Action Program of this Partnership Initiative. This document constitutes a roadmap to guide the collective actions of the countries involved in this African partnership in order to meet common challenges and to boost their cooperation prospects. It should be recalled that this Atlantic African Partnership is the translation of the Vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, May God assist Him, aiming at making this area a space of peace, stability and shared prosperity. It was re-launched by a Ministerial Meeting of the countries concerned, organized in Morocco on June 8, 2022. The Rabat Declaration, adopted at the end of this meeting, defined the three strategic priorities for joint action, namely: political and security cooperation in the fight against terrorism, transnational organized crime and maritime piracy; the blue economy, energy and maritime connectivity; and sustainable development and environment. These consultations are held following the recommendations of the Declaration adopted by the Ministerial Meeting of Atlantic African States, which took place in New York on September 23, 2022 on the sidelines of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, under the chairmanship of Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates. On this occasion, Bourita stressed that the international context has rarely been as complex as today to reinforce the relevance of this Initiative launched by the Kingdom. These consultations, which bring together Ambassadors, Directors General and other senior officials, are coordinated by the Permanent Secretariat of this partnership, which is based in and run by Morocco. They aim to identify areas of common interest requiring concerted and collective action for the consolidation of partnership and cooperation ties between the Atlantic African States. The document resulting from these talks in the form of a Program of Action will be submitted for validation by the ministers at their next meeting to be held in Morocco.