"Africa XXI" Conference

The Royal Institute for Strategic Studies (IRES) participated as a partner in the fifth edition of the international meeting "Africa XXI", organized on November 20, 2024 in Lisbon by the Institute for the Promotion of Latin America and the Caribbean (IPDAL).

On this occasion, Mr. Mohammed Tawfik MOULINE, Director General of IRES, spoke via videoconference during the inaugural session dedicated to African integration, in the presence of numerous ambassadors accredited to Portugal, senior officials from the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as representatives of international organizations, African and European think tanks, and university experts.

In his speech, Mr. MOULINE presented the Royal Initiative for Atlantic Africa, announced by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, on the occasion of the speech commemorating the 48th anniversary of the Green March. He also highlighted its strategic importance in the process of African integration, by explaining its positive impacts on the continent in terms of promoting peace and security, economic and logistical development, the establishment of a blue economy, and the opening up of landlocked Sahel countries.

The Director General of IRES specified that Morocco, a pillar of stability, is emerging as an essential asset for the realization of this initiative through its strong commitment to the various bodies and structures of the African Union, its foreign policy oriented towards the sustained development of South-South cooperation, its contribution to the continent's energy transition, and Morocco's interest in the blue economy.

For Morocco, the Royal Initiative for Atlantic Africa will facilitate the diversification of its political and economic partnerships, the development of its infrastructure and its regional and international connectivity, as well as attracting investment in its Southern Provinces, making the Sahara the Kingdom's gateway to Atlantic Africa and Morocco an African maritime power.