Morocco reaffirmed on Saturday its commitment to strengthening South-South cooperation, emphasizing partnership and solidarity, during the 11th Summit of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
Speaking as Morocco participated as Guest of Honor, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita told heads of state and government that the Kingdom’s engagement reflects a “strategic, consistent, and irreversible choice” to anchor itself in Africa and advance cooperation among countries of the Global South.
According to Bourita, this approach—guided by the vision of King Mohammed VI—is not limited to traditional aid models, but is based on partnership, economic cooperation, and shared development. He stressed that Morocco’s policy prioritises long-term collaboration and seeks to build integrated and diversified partnerships.
Bourita said Morocco’s cooperation doctrine is rooted in a philosophy articulated by the King, under which the country “shares what it has, without ostentation,” highlighting a model focused on mutual benefit rather than dependency.
The minister noted that Morocco has concluded more than 1,600 cooperation agreements with partner countries since 1999, many of them signed during royal visits across Africa.
He added that education remains a key pillar of this cooperation, with nearly 19,400 students from OACPS countries currently studying or training in Morocco under scholarship programmes. Moroccan institutions have trained more than 40,000 graduates from these countries to date, according to official figures.
Addressing food security challenges, Bourita said Morocco has supported partner countries through fertiliser supply initiatives, particularly in Africa and the Caribbean. In 2022 alone, Morocco delivered nearly 200,000 tonnes of fertilisers as donations and supplied an additional 364,000 tonnes at preferential rates, he said.
He also highlighted major regional projects led by Morocco, including the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline, which aims to connect multiple African countries, and an initiative to provide Sahel states with access to the Atlantic Ocean. According to the minister, such projects are designed to turn geographical constraints into economic opportunities.
Bourita said the global context has changed significantly since the creation of the ACP Group, noting that its original framework has “run its course.” He pointed to the Samoa Agreement as a step toward adapting to new global realities.
He also described the OACPS as an effective platform for South-South cooperation, rejecting the notion that it operates as a geopolitical bloc, and instead portraying it as a dynamic institutional framework.
In his address, Bourita called on member states to strengthen their collective voice on global issues, including economic governance, climate policy, and peacebuilding.
He urged that the Samoa Agreement be implemented as a strategic framework that enables member countries to assert decision-making autonomy and negotiate on equal footing with international partners.
The minister concluded by reaffirming Morocco’s readiness to deepen cooperation with its partners, stating that the Kingdom is prepared to share expertise and contribute to building a more balanced global order in which developing countries play a greater role.
The summit opened with the transfer of the OACPS presidency from Angola to Equatorial Guinea, in the presence of several heads of state, government officials, and representatives of international organisations.
