His Majesty King Mohammed VI affirmed, on Sunday, that the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline is a project for peace, African economic integration, and co-development, as well as for the present and future generations.
In His Royal Speech addressed to the Nation on the occasion of the 47th anniversary of the glorious Green March, His Majesty the King stated that "given the continental dimension of the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline, We also consider it a structuring project that connects Africa and Europe."
He continued, "Considering the special importance We attach to the partnership with West African countries, We consider the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline to be more than a bilateral project between two brotherly countries," adding, "Rather, We want it to be a strategic project for the benefit of the entire West African region, whose population exceeds 440 million people."
In this regard, His Majesty the King pointed out that the project provides opportunities and guarantees in the areas of energy security, and economic, industrial, and social development, for the fifteen member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in addition to Mauritania and Morocco.
He recalled that the Memorandum of Understanding recently signed in Rabat with ECOWAS, and in Nouakchott with Mauritania and Senegal, constitutes an essential building block in the project's implementation process.
This signing, added His Majesty the King, reflects the commitment of the concerned countries to contribute to the realization of this strategic project, and their political will to make it a success.
In this context, the Sovereign praised the support of regional and international financial institutions that have expressed their desire to effectively contribute to its implementation, affirming "Morocco's keenness to continue working closely with our brothers in Nigeria, and with all partners, in all transparency and responsibility, to implement it as soon as possible."
He continued, "We also renew our openness to all beneficial forms of partnership in order to realize this major African project."
His Majesty pointed out, in a related context, that this approach is consistent with the nature of the distinguished relations uniting Morocco with the countries of the African continent, "which We are keen to strengthen, in order to serve the common interests of our brotherly peoples."
In this framework, He recalled that His Majesty initiated, with His Excellency Mr. Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the launch of the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline project, noting the progress this major project is making, in accordance with the contractual framework signed in December 2016.
His Majesty King Mohammed VI stated that Morocco is entering a new phase focused on strengthening national sovereignty, supporting economic recovery, and implementing the New Development Model. He also called on the government and Parliament to fully assume their responsibilities.
The United Nations praised His Majesty King Mohammed VI’s forward-looking vision for future generations, highlighting the importance of collective action to build a human-centered and sustainable development model. It also noted that this vision has become even more relevant in light of the challenges exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly social inequalities and the spread of misinformation.
The Council of the League of Arab States praised the efforts of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, to protect Al-Quds Al-Sharif and support the resilience of the Palestinian people. It also highlighted the fieldwork of the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Agency in preserving the city’s Arab and Islamic identity.
