Moroccan Head of Government Sees in China-Africa Strategic Partnership a Solid Pillar for Continent

The Kingdom of Morocco is firmly convinced that “the strategic partnership between China and African countries constitutes a solid pillar for our continent,” as this partnership will strengthen relations between the two parties and allow for their expansion, said Thursday the Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch, during the Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) being held in Beijing. Akhannouch, who represents His Majesty King Mohammed VI at this Forum (September 4-6), recalled the Sovereign’s fruitful visit to the People’s Republic of China in May 2016, which culminated in the signing of the Joint Declaration on the establishment of strategic partnership relations, reflecting the great potential for bilateral cooperation and the strong and sincere political will of both states to accelerate the implementation of this shared vision and move towards promising prospects for the continent. Speaking at a High-Level Conference on “Industrialization and Modernization of Agriculture in Africa,” the Head of Government noted that the choice of this meeting’s theme reflects China’s and the Continent’s deep awareness of the importance of industrialization, modernization of agriculture, and sustainable development for the Continent. Akhannouch recalled that the Kingdom of Morocco has adopted ambitious strategies in this regard, such as the National Pact for Industrial Emergence and the Industrial Acceleration Plan, which have contributed to the development of industrial capabilities and the promotion of innovation in the Kingdom. In this context, he highlighted Morocco’s commitment to establishing a new Investment Charter, aiming to strengthen the presence of Moroccan companies internationally and to enhance the attractiveness and flow of foreign investments into the Kingdom. He pointed out that Morocco is aware of the importance of focusing on future-oriented sectors such as renewable energies, electric vehicles, aerospace construction, electronics industries, and green hydrogen. Regarding agriculture, the Kingdom has launched ambitious initiatives to modernize the sector, including the “Green Morocco” plan and the “Generation Green 2020-2030” strategy, he noted. Thanks to these two initiatives, Morocco has been able to modernize its agricultural sector and enhance its productivity and sustainability to ensure food sovereignty, facing the challenges of climate change and its effects on agriculture and food security in African countries, in a delicate context marked by a setback in economic and social development and pressure on natural resources, particularly water resources, Mr. Akhannouch observed. He also emphasized that Morocco, in line with the promotion of good water resource governance and according to the Royal High Directions, is preparing major projects valued at over $14 billion, including the adoption of drip irrigation in agriculture, the construction of dams, water transfer between basins, and other innovative seawater desalination projects, Akhannouch detailed, assuring that these projects “will allow us to meet our water needs, both for agriculture and for drinking water.” The Kingdom’s African policy has placed agricultural development and food security at the heart of its concerns, he stressed, adding that during His Majesty King Mohammed VI’s visits to African countries, agriculture has always been a key element in the strategy of cooperation with the continent’s states, whether through various cooperation programs or through the Royal Directives given to the Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP) to develop special programs in this field for African countries. To address the food security challenges on the Continent, the Kingdom has launched major projects, including the construction of fertilizer production plants in Ethiopia and Nigeria, knowing that OCP has strengthened its presence in Africa by opening 12 representations across the continent, as well as stimulating production and distribution of fertilizers through the launch of eight industrial projects on the continent. Thanks to its strategic advantages and resources, Morocco will remain an ideal partner for China and Africa in implementing various joint initiatives, he emphasized, noting that this cooperation will focus on vital sectors such as agricultural modernization, infrastructure development, and renewable energies. As the international system faces recent years of interconnected crises and profound geopolitical changes in a multipolar world, joint action such as strengthening China-Africa cooperation has become essential to address various challenges, the Head of Government remarked. In this regard, he emphasized that Morocco is committed to contributing to giving concrete substance to the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation through the development of its mechanisms, programs, and initiatives in various sectors, within the framework of greater openness to the pioneering Chinese experience, especially since the Forum’s objectives intersect with several initiatives launched by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, reflecting Morocco’s commitment to peace, stability, regional integration, and sustainable development in Africa. These include the International Initiative to facilitate Sahel countries’ access to the Atlantic Ocean, which aims to provide the region with more direct and beneficial access to the ocean, thus enhancing trade and economic exchanges, as well as the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project aiming to create a strategic energy corridor to promote energy cooperation and stimulate economic growth in the region. The Kingdom of Morocco is firmly convinced that these initiatives, supported by trilateral partnerships, will play an essential role in achieving a prosperous and sustainable future for Africa, the Head of Government concluded. During the Summit, Mr. Akhannouch is accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Abroad, Nasser Bourita, the Minister Delegate to the Head of Government, responsible for Investment, Convergence, and Public Policy Evaluation, Mohcine Jazouli, the Ambassador and Director General of the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI), Mohamed Methqal, the Moroccan Ambassador in Beijing, Abdelkader El Ansari, as well as the President of the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM), Chakib Alj.