Salé - In a round-table discussion held on Monday in Salé, participants commanded HM King Mohammed VI's strategic initiative to enable Atlantic access for Sahel countries. The speakers emphasized the illustration of Morocco's firm commitment to the development of Africa and the strengthening of South-South cooperation. At a time when Africa is facing multiple challenges related to a delicate and complex global economic and political situation, the speakers at this meeting, organized by the Policy Center for the New South (PCNS) as part of the 7th General Assembly of the Atlantic Federation of African Press Agencies (FAAPA), highlighted that this economically and strategically impactful initiative, will forever change the face of the continent and transform the Sahel into a zone of prosperity and stability. At the opening of the event, FAAPA President and Maghreb Arab Press Director General Fouad Arif emphasized the multidimensional importance of this Royal Strategic Initiative aimed at facilitating landloc ked Sahel countries' access to Morocco's Atlantic coast. This initiative was announced in the speech delivered by HM the King on the occasion of the 48th anniversary of the Green March. "This initiative, like the values of our Federation, is based on imperative prerequisites: win-win partnerships, with a concrete impact in the service of Africans, will unlock the enormous potential of the Atlantic region in all areas," explained Arif during the roundtable, attended by several Directors General of African press agencies, experts, and prominent personalities from the African Atlantic region. He further noted that the relevant choice of the theme of this roundtable, dedicated to the development potential of Atlantic Africa, allows addressing the issue from multiple perspectives: political, economic, social, and environmental. Mohamed Loulichki, Senior Fellow at PCNS, observed that this Royal initiative, aiming to promote co-development in the Sahel region and improve access to the Atlantic Ocean, opens up pro mising new perspectives for the present and future socio-economic development of Africa. The Royal initiative, aligning with the Kingdom's African policy, will facilitate the development of suitable maritime infrastructure, robust economies, and flourishing export industries, noted the former Moroccan ambassador to the United Nations, who considered it crucial to promote a "wider" Atlantic alliance. In the face of challenges related to population growth and climate change, it is important to promote effective regional integration and the effective operationalization of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), he added. Addressing the impact of global geopolitical, security, and economic changes on the region, Paul Isbell, Professor at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, emphasized the strategic dimension of pan-Atlanticism for the promotion of the South Atlantic. He highlighted the importance of partnership for Atlantic cooperation, a regional mechanism for coordination among concerned countries o n issues related to the marine environment, climate, blue economy, and maritime and human security. The discussions during this roundtable focused on the multiple facets of the immense development potential of the African Atlantic, exploring sustainable development and regional integration pathways in this region. By harnessing its various strengths, the African Atlantic can confront its complex realities and forge unity beyond borders, participants noted, emphasizing that the region's states are called upon to address challenges and chart a path of collaboration towards sustainable and equitable development. They also underscored the importance of financing mechanisms, noting the interest in common economic takeoff, considering both project conception and implementation. Source: Agency Morocaine De Presse