Rabat – Princess Lalla Hasnaa, representing King Mohammed VI, took part on Monday in the “Summit for a Connected Mediterranean,” held at the historic Palais des Rois Sardes in Nice.
The event, led by French President Emmanuel Macron, brought together heads of state and government from Europe, the Mediterranean region, and the Gulf, along with representatives of international and regional organizations.
Held on the margins of the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC-3), the summit placed the Mediterranean at the heart of urgent conversations about the future of global connectivity.
King Mohammed VI, in a message delivered by Princess Lalla Hasnaa at the summit, called on African nations to take greater ownership of their maritime spaces, describing the seas as vital to the continent’s future.
He welcomed the participation of African leaders at what he described as an “unprecedented summit” focused on the continent’s 30,000 kilometers of shared coastline.
The King also lauded French President Emmanuel Macron for his dedication to ocean protection and urged African countries to move from recognizing the importance of marine resources to taking concrete steps to protect and develop them.
He noted that while Africa’s seas offer immense potential, they remain largely underexploited and poorly safeguarded.
Far from a routine gathering, it marked a deliberate push to reimagine how countries around the sea relate to one another, by land, by sea, and through digital networks.
The summit unfolded with a shared sense of purpose. Delegations laid out plans to improve transport infrastructure, expand digital links, and develop energy corridors.
These announcements reflect a growing awareness that the region’s future depends on cooperation rather than competition.
Morocco’s presence in this forum signaled its active role in shaping that future. Through the voice of Princess Lalla Hasnaa, the country expressed its commitment to building stronger bridges across the Mediterranean, geographically and politically.
In a world where divisions deepen and environmental threats grow, the summit in Nice stood as a reminder that connectivity is not only about cables and roads, but about trust, vision, and a willingness to act together.
