The full text of the High Royal Speech on the occasion of the 48th anniversary of the Glorious Green March.

Praise be to God, and prayers and peace be upon our master, the Messenger of God, his family, and his companions.

My dear people, The Green March, whose glorious anniversary we celebrate today, has enabled the completion of the country’s territorial integrity. In fulfillment of its immortal oath, we continue the marches of development, modernization, and building, to honor the Moroccan citizen and make optimal use of the assets with which our country is blessed, particularly in the Moroccan Sahara.

The recovery of our southern provinces has enhanced the Kingdom’s Atlantic dimension. Furthermore, the mobilization of national diplomacy has strengthened Morocco’s position, increased international support for its territorial integrity, and thwarted the maneuvers of opponents, both overt and covert.

While the Mediterranean coast serves as a bridge between Morocco and Europe, the Atlantic coast is Morocco’s gateway to Africa and its window of openness to the American space. Hence our keenness to develop the coastal area nationally, including the Atlantic coast of the Moroccan Sahara, as well as to structure this geopolitical space at the African level. Our goal is to transform the Atlantic coast into a space for human communication, economic integration, and continental and international outreach.

Therefore, we are keen to complete the major projects underway in our southern provinces, provide services and infrastructure related to human and economic development, and facilitate connectivity between the various components of the Atlantic coast, providing means of transport and logistical stations—including considering the formation of a strong and competitive national commercial maritime fleet.

To keep pace with the economic progress and urban expansion witnessed by the cities of the Moroccan Sahara, work must continue to establish a maritime economy that contributes to the region’s development and serves its population. It is an integrated economy based on: developing offshore natural resources exploration; continuing investment in fisheries; seawater desalination to encourage agricultural activities, promote the blue economy, and support renewable energies. We also call for the adoption of a specific strategy for Atlantic tourism, based on investing in the region’s abundant assets to transform it into a genuine destination for coastal and desert tourism.

My dear people, As a stable and credible country, Morocco is well aware of the stakes and challenges facing African countries in general, and Atlantic ones in particular. The African Atlantic coast suffers from a tangible deficit in infrastructure and investments, despite its human potential and abundant natural resources. From this perspective, we work with our brothers in Africa, and with all our partners, to find practical and effective answers within the framework of international cooperation.

Within this framework falls the strategic project of the Morocco-Nigeria Gas Pipeline. It is a project for regional integration, joint economic takeoff, and encouraging development dynamics along the Atlantic strip, in addition to being a reliable source for supplying European countries with energy. This is the same orientation that prompted Morocco to launch an initiative to create an institutional framework bringing together the 23 African Atlantic countries, aimed at consolidating security, stability, and shared prosperity.

The problems and difficulties facing our brotherly countries in the Sahel region will not be solved by security and military dimensions alone; rather, by adopting an approach based on cooperation and shared development. Therefore, we propose launching an initiative at the international level aimed at enabling Sahel countries to access the Atlantic Ocean.

However, the success of this initiative remains contingent upon upgrading the infrastructure of the Sahel countries and working to link them to transport and communication networks within their regional environment. Morocco is ready to put its road, port, and railway infrastructure at the disposal of these brotherly countries, out of our belief that this initiative will constitute a fundamental transformation in their economy and in the entire region.

My dear people, I have spoken about seriousness, and about the spiritual, national, and social values that distinguish the Moroccan nation in a volatile world. The Green March embodied these age-old values—the values of sacrifice, loyalty, and patriotism—which enabled Morocco to liberate its land and restore its sovereignty over it. When I spoke about seriousness, it was not a reproach, but rather an encouragement to continue working to complete projects and reforms, and to rise to the challenges facing the country. This is what everyone understood, and it met with a wide response from various national forces.

It is an integrated system of values that has enabled us to consolidate the gains we have achieved in various fields, particularly in promoting the development of our southern provinces and entrenching their Moroccan identity internationally. Praise be to God, many countries have recognized the Moroccan Sahara, and many other active countries have expressed that the autonomy initiative is the only solution to settle this fabricated regional dispute.

Furthermore, the values of solidarity, cooperation, and openness that characterize Morocco have contributed to strengthening its role and standing as a major actor and a reliable, credible economic and political partner at the regional and international levels, especially with brotherly Arab and African countries.

My dear people, We seize the occasion of celebrating this glorious anniversary to renew our commitment to the values of the Green March and our loyalty to its immortal oath.

We also commend the efforts made by the Royal Armed Forces, the security forces, the territorial administration, and all living forces inside and outside the country in defending the legitimate rights of the nation. We also recall, with all appreciation and reverence, the spirit of the instigator of the Green March, our blessed father His Late Majesty King Hassan II, may God rest his soul, and the pure souls of all the nation’s righteous martyrs.

Peace be upon you, as well as the mercy of Allah and His blessings.