Hibapress
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans living abroad, Mr. Nasser Bourita, pleaded, Sunday in Sochi, for the voice of Africa internationally to be listened to and respected.
“In order for the African voice to be able to be heard and to influence world affairs, it is important to recall certain fundamentals,” indicated Mr. Bourita in his intervention at the 1st Ministerial Conference of the Partnership Forum Russia-Africa, alongside its counterparts from Russia and African states.
In this sense, he maintained that “there cannot be shared peace and prosperity in Africa for the benefit of the people of our region without strict respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its member states”, adding that there cannot also be shared peace and prosperity on the continent without respecting the rules of good neighborliness between African States.
Recalling the imperative for the continent’s partners to abandon the logic of paternalism and supervision, Africa being capable of managing its problems, Mr. Bourita noted that there cannot be shared peace and prosperity. in Africa if certain African states establish themselves unilaterally and without any form of legitimacy as supposed leaders of the continent, while in reality they only act to serve strictly national agendas.
“It is at the cost of respecting these fundamental principles that the African voice will strengthen and weigh on world affairs,” insisted the minister, noting that “it is not Africa that needs the rest of the world . In reality, it is the rest of the world that has a growing need for Africa.”
According to Mr. Bourita, “Our continent carries a singular voice throughout the world, that of a continent rich in its history and its diversity, proud to be the cradle of humanity, but also its future, with a great economic and demographic potential.
The minister further specified that the Russia-Africa partnership, which has obvious growth potential, must be built on the fundamental priorities of the African continent.
In view of the next Russia-Africa Summit, underlined Mr. Bourita, it would be desirable to “focus our thoughts on the prospects for cooperation between Africa and Russia, particularly in the areas of food security and energy security.” .
He also affirmed that the Kingdom of Morocco is perfectly assisting in this meeting between its continent of identity, and its strategic partner, which is Russia, specifying that with both, “Morocco has always been constant and consistent on the pressing need to translate commitment into concrete actions, ambitious initiatives and structuring projects in the service of human development, food, energy and climate security – security in short “.
