The Head of Government, Mr. Aziz Akhannouch underlined, Wednesday in Washington, Morocco's commitment, under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, to the partnership between the United States and Africa.

Speaking at the Business Forum held within the framework of the U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit (December 13-15), Mr. Akhannouch explained that this commitment is embodied at the highest level in the country, in order to deepen the Kingdom's ties with both the African continent and American partners.
In this regard, he recalled that over the past 20 years, His Majesty the King has made more than 50 state visits to about 30 countries in Africa, where more than 1,000 agreements have been signed.
The same will to develop an inclusive and sustainable partnership with the United States of America was demonstrated by the signing, in 2004, of a free trade agreement, the first of its kind signed with an African country.
In addition to the commitment, Mr. Akhannouch touched on adaptation as the second condition for the success of any partnership. In this regard, it was necessary to take into account the qualifications and specificities of each society and economy in order to lead a partnership between the countries concerned so as to enable them to fully achieve their objectives.
In this context, he noted that Morocco's contribution to the deepening of economic and trade ties between partners can be appreciated through a number of qualifications, in particular its unique geographical location, at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East, Africa and America, infrastructure of international standards, as well as qualified young human resources thanks to quality training.
In the same context, he touched on structured projects in the field of solar and wind energy, as well as the new investment charter, which has an attractive and incentive system that will enable the emergence of a new generation of Moroccan and international entrepreneurs and investors.
The head of government recalled that Morocco is witnessing a new phase of its socio-economic development, characterized by the building of a social state under the leadership of His Majesty the King.
In order for any partnership to succeed, Mr. Akhannouch called for the formulation of development programs that are effective, inclusive, and adapted to the aspirations of each country.
In that context, he commended the quality of U.S. programs aimed at keeping pace with economic development in Africa, such as the Millennium Challenge Account.
As part of these initiatives, Morocco is a "natural bridge" and a convenient pivotal platform for intensifying investments and trade relations between the United States and Africa, the head of government added.
In response to a question about practical measures to better realize the potential of boosting trade and investment between the United States and Africa over the next decade, the head of government stressed the importance of establishing effective free trade agreements.
On the other hand, he called on US partners to take advantage of the privileges and qualifications offered by the African Free Trade Area in order to develop activities on the continent, stressing that the agreement is a strong engine of economic growth.
Mr. Akhannouch considered it necessary to encourage and intensify the exchange of information between businessmen, through meetings such as the Washington summit, in order to exchange on the possibilities offered by the existing partnerships between the two sides.
He concluded that Morocco is engaged in this process, by hosting the first Bloomberg "Gateway to the New African Economy" conference, in June 2023.
The U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit brings together representatives of nearly 50 countries, civil society, and the private sector from the African continent, as well as officials of the U.S. administration and the African Union Commission.
Participants in the three-day summit will discuss some of the world's most pressing challenges, from the pandemic and climate change to the repercussions of the war in Ukraine, democracy and governance, security, trade and investments, and the development of partnerships between African countries and the United States.