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Rabat- Months after declaring its Africa-centered foreign policy, Morocco appointed Mohcine Jazouli, a well-known political strategist of sub-Saharan affairs, as minister delegate to African affairs and African cooperation.
Mr. Jazouli, who is representing Morocco this week at the African Union free trade summit held in Kigali, Rwanda, recently said in an interview with the Moroccan outlet Medias24 that the North African country’s new Africa agenda truly represents: a relationship based on a genuine love and shared values–not a traditional international affairs ‘marriage of convenience.’
“It is not enough to know Africa. One should love it,” Jazouli said when asked about how his knowledge of Africa’s political landscape has been helping Morocco’s recent diplomatic assertiveness in the continent.
“I have a good grasp of Africa and its expectations. It is a continent that crystallizes scores of hopes and challenges,” Jazouli told Moroccan journalists as he foregrounded one of the reasons why king Mohammed VI chose him to lead Morocco’s vision of an integrated and prosperous Africa, under the auspices of the Bourita-led Foreign Affairs Ministry.“I love Africa, I love its diversity and its vibrant youth,” Jazouli added.
Commenting on the advancements and challenges of Morocco’s diplomacy in Africa, especially the setbacks that the country has been experiencing in its ECOWAS bid, Jazouli promised that as Morocco’s top official in charge of supervising and implementing the King’s “Africa vision,” he will work to the fullest of his abilities to promote and realize Morocco’s faith in the enormous economic prospects of an “Africa that trusts itself.”
Morocco is already the second African investor in the continent and is ready to engage with more and more African partners in order to showcase the North African nation’s genuine commitment to African integration, Jazouli noted.
Mr. Jazouli also mentioned the impressive extent to which Morocco has recently been driving investments and commercial agreements at the continental level. He said that Morocco has recently signed over 400 trade and investment deals with its “African brothers,” adding that a truly prosperous and “independent” Africa depends on devising new perspectives that will bring African economies closer together.
“Morocco has faith in Africa, in its capacity to create and innovate,” Jazouli concluded, hinting that he’ll be meeting with more African fellows—ministers and ambassadors—to discuss the necessity of regional integration and stronger intra-African commercial and cultural exchanges.
