Africa Spain Summit: symbol of the shared desire to build a renewed, ambitious and supportive partnership between Africa and Spain
The Moroccan Embassy in Madrid organised a meeting with guests at the 3rd edition of the Africa Spain Summit held this year in Madrid, with Ambassador Karima Benyaich taking centre stage.
The event was organised by One Africa Forums, an organisation that creates economic conferences dedicated to the development of Africa, particularly North, Central and West Africa, which develops forums, web conferences and tailor-made events with an international reach in various cities around the world, addressing strategic sectors that are crucial for the development of the African continent.
This third edition of the summit sought to strengthen cooperation and relations between Africa and Spain, particularly in economic and trade matters.
The president of One Africa Forums, Hassan M. Alaoui, thanked all those attending the 3rd edition of the Africa Spain Summit, held from 6 to 8 July in Madrid. ‘We are very happy and proud of this initiative, which we launched in 2023. This is its 3rd edition and each year it demonstrates Africa's growing interest in Spain,’ said Hassan M. Alaoui.
The president of One Africa Forums explained at the reception organised by the Moroccan Embassy in Madrid that the Spanish government, led by Pedro Sánchez, launched a strategy for Africa a few years ago that envisages a vision of the African continent that the government has been able to reinforce over time and which is now reflected in the Spain-Africa 2025-2028 strategy.
‘Spain's interest in Africa is recent and we hope that they will find everything they need to support the development of their interests in Africa,’ said Hassan M. Alaoui when assessing the great importance of meetings such as the Africa Spain Summit for promoting investment and connections between Africa and Spain.
Hassan M. Alaoui himself introduced Karima Benyaich, Morocco's ambassador to Spain, during the reception organised by the Embassy at the Wellington Hotel in Madrid, which hosted the Africa-Spain Summit. The ambassador listened attentively to the speeches given at the summit organised by One Africa Forums and said that it was ‘an honour and a great pleasure’ to participate in this event.
Within the dynamic of cooperation between Africa and Spain, Morocco plays a very important role due to its ties with Spain, as they are two close allies that collaborate extensively in many areas.
Karima Benyaich pointed out that the Africa Spain Summit 2025 has been ‘a strong symbol of our shared desire to build a renewed, ambitious and supportive partnership between Africa and Spain’. All this ‘based on the historical and strategic ties that unite Morocco and Spain’.
The Moroccan ambassador thanked the Spanish government, as well as Hassan M. Alaoui, for the opportunity to hold ‘this ambitious initiative’. According to the Moroccan ambassador, this summit is particularly important because it comes at a special moment in relations between Africa and Spain, as the African continent is now ‘a priority in foreign policy, reflecting a firm commitment to strengthening ties of cooperation, exchange and solidarity with our beloved continent’.
The ambassador wanted to highlight the importance of a summit such as this one at a time of such turmoil as we are currently experiencing and the important role that Africa can play: "The event also comes at a time of profound global change marked by a series of successive crises, such as health, economic, climate and geopolitical crises, which are redefining traditional balances and calling for a strategic repositioning of our nations. In this changing landscape, Africa finds itself as a central player, bringing both challenges and opportunities.‘
’Spain, aware of this reality, is incorporating its relationship with the African continent into a new dynamic based on listening, mutual respect and a shared willingness to build lasting solutions to global challenges," explained Karima Benyaich.
The Moroccan ambassador called for ‘responsible and supportive’ action in the current situation. "It is a question of seizing this historic moment to move together towards co-development based on balanced and mutually beneficial partnerships. Indeed, in an interdependent world, no country can face common challenges such as security, energy transition, the fight against climate change, immigration, etc. alone," explained Karima Benyaich.
The Moroccan ambassador called for greater cooperation in a ‘spirit of trust and reciprocity’ as ‘the only way to build a better future for our peoples by consolidating shared prosperity.’
The Moroccan ambassador pointed out that ‘Africa occupies a crucial position in major global discussions’ and added that we have a responsibility to ‘defend the interests of our continent and work with partners such as Spain to create a prosperous and peaceful future.’
"Today, Africa stands at a crucial crossroads in this globalised world. Our continent is rich in potential, but it also faces challenges,‘ said the ambassador, who stated that the African continent ’has extraordinary potential in terms of abundant natural resources, an active and increasingly educated youth, exceptional cultural wealth, a growth rate well above the world average and unique development potential", issues that invite us to look to Africa as a reliable partner on an equal footing.
"All these factors enable us to build a prosperous and lasting future for our people. These opportunities, as well as the challenges that lie ahead, require concerted action and strengthened and renewed cooperation with partners such as Spain, which is hosting us today. As Ambassador of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to Spain, I would like to reaffirm Morocco's position, which is embodied in a clear and committed African vision, taken to the highest level by His Majesty King Mohammed VI," said the Moroccan ambassador.
On this point, Karima Benyaich recalled the words of King Mohammed VI, who said that ‘Africa is my continent, Africa is my home’, emphasising Morocco's sense of belonging to Africa.
The ambassador also said that her country is working for a ‘solidary, integrated Africa that is master of its own destiny’. Karima Benyaich stated that Morocco seeks progress for the continent in collaboration with its sister countries and African and international institutions. She highlighted the commitment of the King of Morocco, which has resulted in 37 projects with a major impact on Africa, such as the launch of the Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline project, which will cross 13 countries on the continent, as well as the 52 royal visits to 30 African countries, the more than 1,000 agreements signed since 1999 and a humane migration policy that has enabled the regularisation of thousands of Africans.
Karima Benyaich also highlighted that in 2008 the Alawite monarch created the Mohammed VI Foundation for Sustainable Development as a non-profit association working for human and sustainable development in Africa in priority areas such as training, education, health, fishing and agriculture. The Foundation has so far carried out 29 initiatives in 11 African countries: Senegal, Mali, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Nigeria, Madagascar, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Rwanda.
Returning to the economic aspect, the ambassador highlighted the importance of supporting Moroccan and foreign entrepreneurs in their establishment, financing and development projects by offering a structured ecosystem, solid regional experience and in-depth knowledge of local markets in Morocco. This strong presence reflects Morocco's desire to play an active role in building ‘an integrated, dynamic and open African economic space’.
With regard to education, Karima Benyaich also pointed out that Morocco plays a key role in training African talent. Thus, in 2024, more than 17,000 students from 40 African countries were enrolled in higher education institutions in Morocco, according to the ambassador. ‘This number shows the Kingdom's ongoing commitment to the development of human capital in Africa,’ said the ambassador.
Regarding the relationship between Morocco and Spain, Karima Benyaich pointed out that it is based on a shared history, complementary geography and a firm desire to go further together. ‘In recent years, this partnership has been strengthened in all political, economic, human, cultural, migratory and social areas,’ said the ambassador, who cited this link as an example of a ‘model of bilateral cooperation based on mutual respect, trust and shared interests.’
