Rabat – Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita reiterated this week Morocco’s commitment to boosting cooperation between Africa and China during the 8th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in the city of Diamniadio, Senegal.
The pragmatic and solidarity-based cooperation aims to benefit the African continent and reinforce equality between countries to reach the common interests, Bourita said in a speech read on his behalf by the Moroccan ambassador to Senegal Taleb Barrada.
The speech mentioned the North African country’s keenness to further develop Africa and ensure peace and security across the continent.
“We believe in the importance of FOCAC, especially in fields that are considered to be a priority for Africa,” he noted, citing the examples of investments in human capital, youth education, technology, industrialization, and digital transformation in the post-COVID era.
Bourita highlighted the progress made in consolidating the China-Africa partnership, “thanks to common challenges, including the health challenge [related to COVID crisis].”
To make Morocco a leading biotechnology platform in Africa, Morocco will manufacture anti-COVID vaccines, he stressed.
Morocco is in talks with the Chinese company Sinopharm to produce COVID vaccines in the North African country to ensure vaccine self-sufficiency and significantly contribute to the African continent’s fight against the COVID crisis.
Recalling the humanitarian aid that Morocco sent to over 20 African countries to support them in combating the pandemic, the speech stressed that the country is “firmly committed to the African continent.”
In addition, it welcomed President Xi Jinping’s plans to establish programs that could benefit Africa in different areas such as green economy, trade, and investment, emphasizing that such partnerships are a win-win for both sides.
Themed “Deepening China-Africa Partnership and Promoting Sustainable Development to Build a Shared China-Africa Community of Future in the New Era,” the 8th Ministerial Conference of FOCAC has been billed by both African and Chinese officials as an opportunity for representatives from both sides to discuss ways to boost cooperation in many fields.
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