Speaking before Heads of State and Government of the member countries of the Organization of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS), where Morocco is Guest of Honor for this 11th Summit, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates, MFA Nasser Bourita, emphasized that “under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, Morocco has made the strategic, consistent, and irreversible choice to anchor itself in Africa and in South-South cooperation.”
MFA Bourita pointed out that this choice is not “a slogan, but a doctrine that prioritizes partnership over aid; that extends beyond exclusive bilateral frameworks toward a diversified, integrated, and dynamic vision of partnerships; and that establishes economic partnership as a lever of sovereignty.”
The minister highlighted the philosophy guiding the Kingdom’s actions, quoting the Sovereign’s remarks at the 28th African Union Summit in 2017: “My vision of South-South cooperation is clear and constant: my country shares what it has, without ostentation.”
In this regard, MFA Bourita assessed Morocco’s cooperation with its sister countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. He thus recalled that since 1999, the Kingdom has concluded “more than 1,607 cooperation agreements, many of which were signed during the 52 Royal Visits to Africa.”
Regarding the training of students, the minister said that thousands of scholarships are granted by the Kingdom to students from these sister nations, pointing out that « some 19,400 students from these countries are currently holding scholarships or undergoing training in Morocco, » and that the Kingdom has trained, to date, “over 40,220 graduates” from OACPS member countries.
Concerning food security, a crucial challenge for these nations, MFA Bourita emphasized that the Kingdom’s cooperation provides Caribbean countries with fertilizers. Meanwhile, with African countries, “in 2022 alone, nearly 200,000 tonnes of donations and 364,000 tonnes were delivered at preferential rates. »
Reflecting on the context of the Organization’s 50th anniversary, the minister stated that the paradigm that guided the creation of the ACP Group “has run its course,” explaining that “the world it was born into has changed,” and emphasizing that “the Samoa Agreements have already taken this into account.”
In this context, MFA Bourita praised the transformation undertaken by the OACPS, affirming that the “modern organization is not—and never has been—a geopolitical ‘ghetto,’” but rather “quite the opposite, one of the most successful institutional forms of South-South cooperation.”
The minister also highlighted the transformative initiatives launched by His Majesty the King, such as the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline project, described as “a vital artery connecting thirteen African countries, from the West to the North, creating a space of shared prosperity.” He also mentioned the Royal Initiative to provide Sahel countries with access to the Atlantic Ocean, emphasizing that “these Royal Initiatives transform geographical constraints into economic opportunities, which reaffirms that our development is built on interdependence and not on isolation.”
MFA Bourita outlined the three pillars of Morocco’s approach to South-South cooperation: harnessing endogenous potential, moving beyond one-size-fits-all approaches in favor of tailored partnerships, and prioritizing human impact and sustainability.
Against the profound changes in the global order, MFA Bourita urged the OACPS to become “the collective voice advocating for a new, more secure economic order, climate governance that does not sacrifice development, and peace based on mutual respect and concrete cooperation.”
He added that the Samoa Agreement “must be implemented not merely as a mechanism for transferring resources, but as a strategic framework in which the OACPS asserts its decision-making autonomy and its ability to negotiate on equal terms with its long-standing partners.”
The minister concluded by reaffirming the Kingdom’s full readiness to work alongside its partners. “True to the commitment of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Morocco is ready. Ready to share its experience; ready to mobilize its expertise; and ready to join forces with you to build an active multipolar world, where the South carries all its demographic, economic, and strategic weight,” he declared.
The Summit’s opening ceremony was marked by the handover of the presidency from Angola to Equatorial Guinea, in the presence of several Heads of State and Government, as well as representatives of international organizations and the OACPS’ strategic partners.
