The Foreign Ministers of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Chad expressed, on Saturday in Marrakech, their countries' adherence to the international initiative of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to promote access of Sahel States to the Atlantic Ocean, which offers significant opportunities for the economic transformation of the entire region.
In the final statement concluding the Ministerial Coordination Meeting, organized at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Residing Abroad, Nasser Bourita, the heads of diplomacy of these African countries expressed their adherence to this regional and international Initiative.
They emphasized the strategic importance of this Initiative, which is part of the active solidarity measures of His Majesty King Mohammed VI towards brotherly African countries in general and the Sahel in particular. It provides significant opportunities for the economic transformation of the entire region by accelerating regional connectivity, trade flows, and shared prosperity in the Sahel region.
In this context, they welcomed the inclusive and participatory approach for the implementation of this Initiative, expressing their common ambition to strengthen cooperation through joint, structuring, and innovative multisectoral partnerships, reflecting the values of South-South cooperation and co-development.
The Foreign Ministers participating in this Coordination Meeting agreed to establish a national Task Force in each country to prepare and propose the operational modalities of this Initiative.
They also agreed to finalize the proposals to be submitted to the Very High Attention of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and His brothers, the Heads of State of Burkina Faso, the Republic of Mali, the Republic of Niger, and the Republic of Chad, in the shortest possible time, as stated in the final statement.
At the end of this meeting, the ministers expressed their gratitude to His Majesty King Mohammed VI for this Initiative and for the Kingdom of Morocco's offer to make its road, port, and rail infrastructure available to the Sahel States to strengthen their participation in international trade.
The Royal Initiative to promote the access of Sahel countries to the Atlantic Ocean was announced in the Royal Speech to the Nation on the occasion of the 48th anniversary of the Green March. In that speech, the Sovereign specified, "To facilitate the access of Sahel States to the Atlantic Ocean, we propose the launch of an international Initiative," adding that "Morocco is ready to make its road, port, and rail infrastructure available to support this Initiative."
His Majesty King Mohammed VI also emphasized that "for such a proposal to succeed, it is essential to upgrade the infrastructure of the Sahel States and connect them to the transport and communication networks established in their regional environment."