The Ministerial Coordination Meeting on King Mohammed VI's Initiative to facilitate access of Sahel countries to the Atlantic Ocean, attended by Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Chad, provided an opportunity for these countries to express their strong adherence to this Initiative. Statements.
Mali "fully recognizes" the Atlantic Initiative announced by King Mohammed VI in favor of Sahel States, said Mali's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Abdoulaye Diop, on Saturday, December 23, in Marrakech.
"The Initiative of His Majesty the King, announced in His Speech on November 6 on the occasion of the 48th anniversary of the Green March, has sparked the interest of the government of Mali, which sees it as a manifestation of the Kingdom's active solidarity with brotherly African countries," emphasized Diop during the Ministerial Coordination Meeting on King Mohammed VI's International Initiative to facilitate the access of Sahel countries to the Atlantic Ocean.
Malian authorities "appreciate this fraternal and supportive initiative, seeing it as the commitment of the Kingdom of Morocco to further align its actions, beyond bilateral cooperation, within a broader framework of an approach aimed at meeting the common aspirations of the authorities and peoples of the Sahel," he added.
The Malian Foreign Minister also noted that "choosing to celebrate the anniversary of the Green March, which holds particular importance for the Kingdom, to launch such an initiative, illustrates the attention that Morocco pays to the development of Sahel countries through their connectivity."
"To offer water is to offer life. Morocco has chosen to offer the sea to landlocked states. And for a country like Mali, vast with over 1,200,000 km2 and surrounded by seven neighboring states, this offer represents an opportunity in many ways," he said.
Firstly, he explained, the opening up of the concerned countries "will stimulate exchanges both at the intra-African level and with the rest of the world, which will impact our economies by allowing us to better market our products, participate more effectively in global trade, and improve the trade balance of our states."
Chad
Under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Morocco is a "strategic and reliable" partner for all African countries, emphasized the Chadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chadians Abroad, and International Cooperation, Mahamat Saleh Annadif.
"I would like to pay tribute to the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, on the continent, making the Kingdom a strategic and reliable partner for all African countries," said Saleh Annadif in a speech read on his behalf on Saturday in Marrakech by the Chadian Ambassador to Morocco, Hassan Adoum Bakhit Haggar, on the occasion of the Ministerial Coordination Meeting on King Mohammed VI's Initiative to facilitate the access of Sahel countries to the Atlantic Ocean.
In this regard, he praised the Royal Initiative aimed at facilitating the access of Sahel countries to the Atlantic Ocean, noting that Chad's regional economic integration project aligns with His Majesty King Mohammed VI's vision for the region.
The Chadian Foreign Minister also expressed gratitude to the Sovereign for the Kingdom's interest in the Sahel, a region facing political and security challenges.
Security and development are inseparable, the Chadian minister emphasized, calling for support for initiatives in this regard in the region.
Chad firmly believes that only an inclusive development policy can prevent the spread of terrorism in the Sahel, supported Saleh Annadif.
Burkina Faso
King's Atlantic Initiative, a powerful lever for transforming the economies of the Sahel and integrating them into the global economy, affirmed the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation, and Burkinabés Abroad, Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré.
Speaking at the Ministerial Coordination Meeting on King Mohammed VI's Initiative to facilitate the access of Sahel countries to the Atlantic Ocean, the Burkinabè Foreign Minister emphasized that "beyond expressing active solidarity, this initiative is a call for the recognition of the rights and values of landlocked countries in the global economy."
"Burkina Faso welcomes any initiative aimed at transforming its landlocked status into an asset because it is clear that our countries have long remained impoverished due to inappropriate policies," he continued, noting that King Mohammed VI's initiative perfectly aligns with the ambition of Sahel States to capitalize on their enormous potential by minimizing the burden of landlockedness through an effective and growth-bearing infrastructure integration policy.
Highlighting the significance of this Royal Initiative, the Burkinabè minister stated that Sahel countries will "work towards its appropriation and the success of this immense project."
Recall of the spirit of the Royal Initiative by Nasser Bourita
The international initiative of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to facilitate access for the countries of the Sahel to the Atlantic Ocean is "the promise of a strategic turning point for our countries," emphasized the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Residing Abroad, Nasser Bourita, at the opening of the ministerial coordination meeting.
"There are so many substantial and pragmatic reasons that make this Royal Initiative the promise of a strategic turning point for our countries," Bourita emphasized at the opening of the ministerial coordination meeting on His Majesty King Mohammed VI's initiative to facilitate access for the countries of the Sahel to the Atlantic Ocean, which includes the participation of Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Chad.
The first of these reasons, the minister explained, is "the tradition of cooperation, mutual aid, and solidarity that has always existed between Morocco, the Sovereigns of Morocco, and the brotherly countries of the Sahel."
In this regard, he noted that King Mohammed VI has always valued and promoted these ties, pointing out that the Royal Initiative is a continuation of an active and supportive commitment by the Kingdom, and personally by the Sovereign, alongside the brotherly countries of the Sahel.
"The purpose here is, simply and humbly, to capitalize on a tradition of cooperative solidarity, to demonstrate a triple conviction that underlies the Royal Approach," Bourita stated.
The first, he explained, is that, for the Sovereign, the Sahel is not – and has never been – a region like any other, much less a simple transition area between North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. The second conviction of this triptych is that His Majesty the King, may God assist Him, has always believed in the potential of the countries of the Sahel, he pointed out. "Where many see problems, His Majesty the King sees opportunities. Where some speak of despair, His Majesty the King detects potential, and where some opt for easy solutions, His Majesty the King advocates for fundamental treatments to develop real solutions," Bourita indicated.
For this reason, and this is the third conviction, His Majesty the King contends that development is the key to the problems of the Sahel, the minister further asserted.
In this line, the Royal Initiative is the promise that Morocco brings all its energy, mobilizes all its efforts, and shares all its know-how, he noted, emphasizing that it is about supporting the partners of the Sahel to unleash the enormous potential of the region and, thus, accelerate the growth and sustainable and inclusive development of the economies of the region.
This initiative reflects the philosophy of the Royal Vision, expressed at the 29th AU summit, for "the emergence of a new Africa: a strong Africa, a bold Africa that takes charge of defending its interests, an influential Africa in the concert of Nations."
Bourita observed, in the same context, that if the forces of evil – terrorists, separatists, and other spoilers – manage to regionalize their threat, there is no reason why the forces of good cannot regionalize the growth and development of populations.
"The entire objective that His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, assigns to the Initiative is to facilitate access for the brotherly countries of the Sahel to the Atlantic Ocean. Because it would be inconceivable, today, for such a fertile region as the Sahel to remain landlocked, due to a lack of solidarity or audacity," he supported. In summary, Bourita concluded, the Royal Initiative proposes to rethink the paradigm and to build, together, creative and courageous solutions.
"In mercantile trade, the Sovereign prefers the genuine creation of common and sustainable wealth. Instead of numbing assistance, the Sovereign prefers structuring and 'win-win' projects; and instead of the relentless force of an all-security approach, the Sovereign relies on the unsuspected power of shaping minds," he concluded.
