Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates Mr. Nasser Bourita called, Thursday in Brussels, on Belgian economic operators to seize the opportunities offered by the Southern provinces of the Kingdom, in line with His Majesty King Mohammed VI’s vision of making the Sahara region a hub for development and cooperation.
The call was made during the joint press conference in which Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Maxime Prévot, announced his country’s new advanced position on the Moroccan Sahara and that Belgium will henceforth act diplomatically and economically in line with this stance.
Mr. Bourita cited the example of several of Morocco’s partner countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and the United States, which already view the Southern provinces as a genuine land of opportunities.
Washington has formally encouraged investment in the Moroccan Sahara region, and France recently organized the France-Morocco Economic Forum in Dakhla, he added.
The Minister noted in this regard that Belgium currently ranks 13th among Morocco’s trading partners and 17th among investors, an important position that can be strengthened by involving the private sector more, particularly during the upcoming visit to Morocco by a Belgian government delegation accompanied by economic operators and businessmen.
Through the Southern provinces of the Kingdom, “Belgium can develop its trade relations with West Africa and Central Africa,” insisted Mr. Bourita, emphasizing that the city of Dakhla can be a gateway to the African continent for Belgium.
In this context, the minister mentioned promising prospects for cooperation with Belgium in the renewable energy, infrastructure, industry, and green hydrogen sectors.
Belgium has expressed today its support for autonomy, placing the Sahara region within the framework of the Kingdom’s sovereignty and national unity, stressing that it will act as of now on diplomatic and economic plans in line with this position.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kingdom of Morocco – Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates.