Cotonou: Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates Nasser Bourita called on the Afro-Atlantic region to become a key player in global ocean governance during the 7th Ministerial Meeting of the Atlantic African States Process (AASP) held in Cotonou. Bourita emphasized that maritime security, green logistics corridors, and sustainable energy transition are crucial for African integration through concrete actions and reinforced cooperation.
According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, Bourita’s speech, delivered by Ambassador Mohamed Methqal, Director General of the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI), highlighted the meeting as a new phase in evolving the partnership, now focused on implementing its vision operationally. Bourita noted the Cotonou Declaration’s role in defining guidelines in maritime security, green logistics corridors, and sustainable energy transition.
The minister underscored the Afro-Atlantic region’s potential to become a driver of peace and p
rosperity, aligning with the Royal Initiative by His Majesty King Mohammed VI. He referenced the Sovereign’s Message to the “Africa for the Ocean” Summit, underscoring Africa’s Atlantic seaboard’s potential for trade and global positioning.
Bourita highlighted that nearly 90% of global trade, valued at $18,000 billion annually, is transported by sea, with 30% passing through strategic African waterways. He pointed out African States’ contributions to drafting the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and noted the 2026 crisis in the Strait of Hormuz as a limitation of international maritime crisis management.
He advocated for African States bordering the Atlantic to contribute actively to international maritime governance, stressing the importance of common goods for global navigation and warning against their exploitation for coercive purposes.
Bourita also mentioned the Royal Initiatives for Africa, including facilitating Sahelian States’ access to the Atlantic and the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline project
, calling it a corridor for peace and energy sovereignty.
He announced Morocco’s plan to organize a capacity-building session for AASP member States in counterterrorism and human rights education, emphasizing maritime security as essential for Afro-Atlantic economic integration.
Discussing the blue economy, Bourita stressed the need for modernizing port infrastructure and enhancing connectivity. He noted the Moroccan ports of Tanger Med and Dakhla Atlantique, and the first meeting of AASP member States’ port authorities in El Jadida.
Regarding sustainable energy transition, Bourita reaffirmed Morocco’s commitment to an inclusive transition and called for increased funding for Africa’s energy needs, estimated at over $100 billion annually by 2030. He cited Morocco’s investment in renewable energy and readiness to share expertise.
Bourita urged the AASP’s Permanent Secretariat to develop a roadmap for implementing the Cotonou Declaration, emphasizing the AASP’s credibility relies on producing tangible resul
ts. He reiterated Morocco’s belief in African solutions addressing continental challenges, underlining the Kingdom’s commitment to an Afro-Atlantic space of peace, freedom, and prosperity.