“Since the outbreak of the crises in Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso and Guinea Conakry, Morocco has always supported the territorial integrity of these sister countries, urging the protagonists to reconciliation, to concord and overcoming differences to ensure the security of these countries, considered essential for the stability and sustainable development of Africa and beyond,” said the president of the group of the National Rally of Independents (RNI) in the House of Representatives in a speech delivered at the opening of this two-day conference.

Through numerous visits of HM King Mohammed VI to African countries, Morocco has developed substantial and mutually beneficial cooperation, particularly in the fields of food security, border control, social development, military training, technical cooperation and security cooperation, he recalled.

The Moroccan parliamentarian noted that Africa is facing, today, the challenge of political instability in a period of great political turbulence at the global level, calling for a new economic and human development approach to address the issue of instability and avoid violence and extremism.

Mentioning the challenge of population growth facing Africa, Ghayate stressed the importance of focusing on infrastructure development, strengthening public services and creating more jobs as half of Africa’s population is under 20 years old.

“In this regard, the creation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will strengthen intra-African trade relations, which currently represent only 16%. It will also consolidate the rate of industrialization of the continent,” he said, adding that Morocco, through the Royal vision to strengthen South-South cooperation, is convinced that the AfCFTA will play an important role in the liberation of African creative genius.

This zone will undoubtedly accelerate the integration of the “Regional Economic Communities”, recognized by the agreement of the AfCFTA as indicative pillars, the MP underlined.

The 13th Conference of Assembly and Section Presidents of the African Region of the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie will focus on several issues related mainly to the political, social and health situations in the countries of the Francophone African space, in addition to the recent political crises in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Chad.

Source: Agency Morocaine De Presse