Moroccan Secretary of State in charge of Maritime Fisheries Zakia Driouich and the new representative of the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) in Morocco Alexandre Huynh held talks on Wednesday in Rabat, focusing on boosting support for the artisanal fishing, a vital economic and social practice particularly for coastal populations.
The discussions were an opportunity to underline the excellence of the cooperation relations between the Kingdom of Morocco and the FAO, considered to be a model of close and continuous cooperation, Dirouich said in a press release upon Huynh's courtesy visit.
Huynh praised the historic ties of fruitful partnership and constructive collaboration, noting that Morocco is a model to follow in terms of solid partnership with the FAO, according to the same source.
The growing challenges of climate change and its repercussions on marine resources were discussed at the meeting, with emphasis on the shared interest in developing new cooperation mechanisms aimed at strengthening the sector's resilience and adaptive capacity.
In this respect, Driouich underlined Morocco's commitment to developing a common African vision for tackling ocean challenges, as reflected in its active participation in the United Nations Conference on the Oceans (UNOC 3), held in Nice last June.
The two officials also stressed the importance of pursuing joint action to strengthen bilateral cooperation and open up new prospects based on dialogue, solidarity and innovation, in favor of both parties and in response to the growing challenges facing the marine fisheries sector, including ocean governance, food security and the sustainable preservation of marine resources.
Both parties deemed this meeting as the stepping stone of a new phase of cooperation based on dialogue, solidarity and innovation, with a convergence of views on fundamental issues such as ocean governance, food security and the sustainable preservation of marine resources.
MAP: 09 July 2025
