This article was automatically translated from HIBAPRESS, the Arabic version:
Hibapress
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the “strong” and “clear” commitment of King Mohammed VI on Monday in Nice on Monday in favor of the development of a blue economy in Africa, during the opening of the “Africa for the Ocean” summit which he co -chaired with Princess Lalla Hasnaa, representative of the sovereign.
Macron expressed his gratitude to Morocco for the organization of this summit and for having associated France with “this initiative on essential issues for the African continent and for all of us”. He underlined the African leadership of the Kingdom, carried by King Mohammed VI, “whose constant efforts in ocean governance, in the fight against plastic pollution and for regional cooperation appear on the continent”.
The French president praised the message addressed to the participants by King Mohammed VI, read by Princess Lalla Hasnaa, calling him “strong and clear on the strategy to drive and (…) that we share”. He also highlighted “the king’s Atlantic initiative for access to the ocean of landlocked African countries, which testifies to this vision”.
Recalling that, twenty years ago, King Mohammed VI launched the Tangier Med project, which today became the most important port of the Mediterranean, Mr. Macron stressed that in 2026, the work of the port of Dakhla “will inaugurate a new era for the Atlantic Ocean and the desire to take the whole continent to this ocean and to this opening”.
“It is no coincidence that this summit stands under the double banner of Morocco and France, two nations that share a bank, a millennial dialogue, a common history and the desire for a common course and a better moored world,” he concluded.
The “Africa for the Ocean” summit, organized as part of the 3rd United Nations Conference on the 2025 Ocean, was the occasion for exchanges on the development opportunities offered to Africa by its ocean resources, while ensuring responsible governance of marine spaces. The discussions have notably focused on the search for funding for modern and resilient infrastructure, ocean governance and fishery stock management, as well as connectivity between maritime and landlocked countries.
