Morocco reaffirms commitment to South-South cooperation at OACPS summit in Malabo
Malabo, Equatorial Guinea (PANA) – Morocco has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening South-South cooperation during the 11th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) held on Saturday in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
Morocco participated in the summit as Guest of Honour, reflecting the Kingdom’s growing role in promoting cooperation among countries of the Global South.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Mr. Nasser Bourita, represented King Mohammed VI at the gathering, which brought together several Heads of State and Government, international organisations and strategic partners of the OACPS.
Speaking at the summit, held under the theme “A Transformed and Renewed OACPS in a Changing World”, Mr. Bourita said Morocco had made a strategic and irreversible choice to strengthen its ties with Africa and deepen South-South cooperation.
“Under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Morocco has made the strategic, consistent and irreversible choice to anchor itself in Africa and in South-South cooperation,” he said.
The Moroccan foreign minister stressed that the country’s approach prioritised partnership over aid and promoted diversified and integrated cooperation frameworks aimed at fostering economic sovereignty.
Quoting remarks by King Mohammed VI at the 28th African Union Summit in 2017, Mr. Bourita noted: “My vision of South-South cooperation is clear and constant: my country shares what it has, without ostentation.”
He highlighted Morocco’s expanding cooperation with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, noting that since 1999 the Kingdom had signed more than 1,600 cooperation agreements, many of them concluded during the King’s official visits to Africa.
Mr. Bourita said Morocco also continued to support human capital development by offering scholarships to students from OACPS countries.
According to him, about 19,400 students from these countries were currently studying or receiving training in Morocco under scholarship programmes, while more than 40,000 graduates from OACPS member states had completed their studies in the Kingdom.
On food security, he noted that Morocco had provided fertilisers to Caribbean countries and supplied African partners with fertiliser support. In 2022 alone, nearly 200,000 tonnes were donated, while more than 364,000 tonnes were supplied at preferential rates.
Mr. Bourita also referred to major regional initiatives launched by King Mohammed VI, including the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline project, which aims to connect 13 African countries and promote shared economic development.
He also highlighted the Royal Initiative aimed at facilitating access to the Atlantic Ocean for landlocked Sahel countries, saying such projects transform geographic constraints into economic opportunities.
The Moroccan minister said the Kingdom’s South-South cooperation strategy rested on three main pillars: harnessing local potential, promoting tailored partnerships rather than uniform solutions, and prioritising sustainable human development.
He called on the OACPS to strengthen its role in shaping a more balanced global order, particularly in areas such as economic governance, climate action and peacebuilding.
“The Samoa Agreement should not be seen merely as a mechanism for transferring resources, but as a strategic framework enabling OACPS countries to assert their autonomy and negotiate on equal terms with their partners,” he said.
Mr. Bourita reaffirmed Morocco’s readiness to continue working with its partners to promote cooperation and development.
The opening ceremony of the summit also saw Angola hand over the rotating presidency of the OACPS to Equatorial Guinea.
The summit coincides with the 50th anniversary of the organisation, which groups countries from Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
-0- PANA MSS/RA 28March2026
