Thanks to the initiatives of HM King Mohammed VI, Morocco has a vision that extends beyond a country to encompass the entire continent, especially in its relations with neighboring regions like the Mediterranean, said Special Envoy of the French President for the UN Ocean Conference, Ambassador for the Poles and Oceans, Olivier Poivre d'Arvor.
In an interview with MAP, Poivre d’Arvor stated that thanks to the Royal Initiatives, which began notably with the ports of Tanger Med, Nador, and soon Dakhla, Africa now has a direction and a vision for its maritime future.
Speaking about the "Africa for the Ocean" summit, co-chaired on Monday by HRH Princess Lalla Hasnaa, Representing HM the King, and the French President Emmanuel Macron, as part of the UN Ocean Conference, the President’s Special Envoy welcomed this initiative that brings Africans together around the blue economy, ocean protection, and governance.
"It was a major event. It is very important because the African sea has never sufficiently benefited coastal populations, and even less so inland populations," he explained, praising in this regard the Atlantic Royal Initiative, which he described as "a call to break the isolation of African countries, notably those in the Sahel, by providing them with port infrastructure and the full momentum of Morocco so they can access the ocean."
Morocco, he emphasized, "is the only country in the world—I say this with great appreciation—that, in the lead-up to this UN conference, took the matter so seriously that it addressed the issue for the entire continent."
Poivre d’Arvor stressed, in this regard, that France and Morocco can collaborate to develop a Europe-Mediterranean-Africa vision aimed at improving digital, energy, and maritime connectivity.
In his view, Morocco is demonstrating remarkable dynamism in the various activities of this conference. "Some countries are driven by such momentum and will inspire others. The Kingdom is taking many countries by the hand and indeed helping them adopt a long-term perspective of 10, 15, even 20 years."
MAP: 11 June 2025
