Casablanca – Morocco is positioning itself as a bridge between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Africa, with connectivity at the center of its approach to cooperation with the regional bloc.
Morocco’s Ambassador to ASEAN, Redouane Houssaini, presented the kingdom’s vision during a meeting with ASEAN member states and external dialogue partners held from August 24 to 26 in Manila, the Philippines.
Speaking during discussions focused on strategic connectivity, Houssaini said connectivity should go beyond physical infrastructure. He pointed to digital networks, financial flows, energy corridors and human connections as parts of the same framework.
He said the aim is to connect production centers with markets, capital with opportunities, energy with demand and people with knowledge.
For Morocco, connectivity is also linked to regional integration and to King Mohammed VI’s policy of strengthening African integration while opening the continent to its international environment.
Houssaini cited several Moroccan projects, including Tanger Med, which is connected to more than 180 ports in 70 countries, including around 40 in Africa. He also referred to the Dakhla Atlantic project, the Royal Initiative to facilitate Sahel countries’ access to the Atlantic Ocean and the Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic African Gas Pipeline.
The ambassador further pointed to human connectivity through the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI). Its programs include training, scholarships, vocational education and capacity building for partners in Africa and Southeast Asia.
Morocco seeks to use its geographic position to deepen economic links with ASEAN, Houssaini said, noting that the country can serve as a production and logistics platform close to Europe and as an entry point into African value chains. He called for stronger links between ports, companies, financial centers and universities.
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The push comes as Morocco and ASEAN have taken several steps to expand their relationship in 2026. In February, the ASEAN Committee in Rabat met with Foreign Trade Secretary Omar Hejira to discuss market access, business links and cooperation in sectors of mutual interest.
In July, Hejira held talks in Jakarta with ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General Satvinder Singh on investment, trade, regional value chains, the green economy and logistics connectivity.
Morocco and ASEAN also agreed to deepen economic dialogue and organize a business forum involving Moroccan and ASEAN private-sector representatives. Morocco was invited to attend the Philippines’ Investment Summit in November 2026.
Morocco’s engagement with Indonesia has also accelerated. In May, the two countries signed a mutual recognition agreement on halal product certification, while in July they agreed to accelerate discussions on a new preferential trade agreement and establish a joint working group involving government and private-sector representatives.
Houssaini, who presented his credentials to the ASEAN secretary-general earlier this month, said Morocco is ready to work with the bloc on concrete connectivity initiatives.
The next ASEAN-Morocco Sectoral Cooperation Committee meeting, scheduled for autumn at the ASEAN headquarters in Jakarta, is expected to examine specific connectivity projects.
ASEAN is chaired by the Philippines in 2026 and will be led by Singapore in 2027. The bloc has 11 members and is one of the world’s major centers of economic growth.
Morocco became an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner in 2023 and is continuing to expand cooperation with Southeast Asia under the partnership framework covering 2024 to 2028.
