Morocco, guest of honour at the 4th Europe-Africa Forum
Once again, Morocco has positioned itself as a benchmark for Africa. The North African country was selected from among the 58 countries on the continent to represent it at the 4th edition of the Europe-Africa Forum, held at the Palais du Pharo in Marseille, which brought together leaders, investors and policy makers from both continents to discuss the challenges and opportunities in their relations.
The Moroccan delegation included the Minister of Transport and Logistics, Abdessamad Kayouh; the Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali; the Minister of Investment, Convergence and Evaluation of Public Policies, Karim Zidane; and the Kingdom's Ambassador to France, Samira Sitaïl.
Also present were the Director General of the Moroccan Agency for Investment and Export Development (AMDIE), Ali Seddiki; the President of the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM), Chakib Alj; the Director General of the Tanger Med Group (TMSA), Mehdi Tazi Riffi; and the Director General of Casablanca Finance City (CFC), Saïd Ibrahimi.
The theme of the event revolved around the need for cooperation, through innovation, between Europe and Africa by taking advantage of the vast resources that both continents possess and the strategic connection they have through the Mediterranean, which has made Morocco a key and fundamental player.
In the current global context, the Mediterranean Sea is not only a geographical space, but also a vital bridge for the union and development of both regions.
During the conference, the importance of innovation, intercontinental cooperation, the role of education and business, the potential of Mediterranean ports as models of sustainable development and logistics, and, above all, the importance of developing the African Union's Agenda 2063 as a common roadmap for a continent that, by that time, will contain 45% of the world's young people aged 16 to 25, of the world's population.
Advances in space technologies and investment in youth and health equity were also discussed. In particular, it was highlighted how satellite technology can position Africa as the leading continent in the agricultural sector.
During the event, Karim Zidane, Minister of Investment, Convergence and Public Policy Evaluation, highlighted the exceptional momentum Morocco is experiencing, driven by a real vision for the future, ambitious structural reforms and a strong desire to make investment a lever for transformation in the service of sustainable and inclusive development.
💬 Maroc | Boom économique : les chiffres !
— La Tribune Evénements (@latribuneevents) May 6, 2025
« 191 projets depuis 2021, pour un total de 31 Mds € d'investissements. »
Un dynamisme concret porté par le Royaume.
Avec @KarimZidane_, Ministre délégué à l’Investissement, au #ForumEuropeAfrique pic.twitter.com/YwtlbZexXL
Zidane pointed out that the collaboration between the two countries is excellent, with Morocco having invested more than 31 billion dollars in over 191 joint projects since 2021. Chakib Alj reaffirmed these figures, noting that the 40 most important companies in Morocco have French counterparts and/or national institutions as their main economic partners.
He also stressed ‘the importance of building a new Euro-African investment pact, based on construction, innovation and the creation of shared value, with the aim of bringing about the emergence of joint industrial ecosystems, anchored in the realities of the two continents and focused on a greener, more connected and job-creating economy’.
Along the same lines, Leila Benali, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development of Morocco, pointed out that the African country is the state that has invested the most in French energy infrastructure over the last 20 years.
Benali also emphasised that the cost of producing renewable energy in Morocco is less than a third of the cost of nuclear energy in some European countries, and stated that the aim is to build strong and sustainable supply chains and strengthen African integration.
Samira Sitaïl, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Spain, praised the role of King Mohammed VI of Morocco, saying that ‘for a quarter of a century, no other head of state has travelled so often and to so many African countries’. Samira pointed out that the King has made more than 50 trips, more than any other, and has signed more than 1,000 agreements in pursuit of increased South-South cooperation.
Finally, Ali Seddiki, Director General of the Moroccan Agency for Investment and Export Development (AMDIE), highlighted Morocco's vital role as a strategic connector between Africa and Europe, advocating for an inclusive, sustainable and shared prosperity-based growth model.
