Foreign Ministers Hail Morocco’s Leadership in Advancing Atlantic African States Process

Praia, 08/05/2025 (MAP)- Foreign Ministers of several countries participating in the Atlantic African States Process (AASP) commended, on Thursday in Praia, the Kingdom of Morocco’s consistent support and leadership in effectively advancing the AASP initiative and strengthening this framework for dialogue and cooperation.

In a statement to MAP on the sidelines of the 5th ministerial meeting of the AASP held in Cape Verde’s capital, the ministers recalled that holding a ministerial meeting of the AASP alligns with the vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to transform the African Atlantic space into a zone of peace, stability, and shared prosperity.

In this context, Cape Verde’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and Regional Integration, José Fiomeno de Carvalho Dias, highlighted Morocco’s unwavering support and the decisive role of the Process’s permanent secretariat, based in Rabat, whose coordination has been essential to the progress of this initiative.

Cape Verde’s top diplomat also reiterated his country’s full readiness to continue working in a coordinated manner with all member states in favor of an Atlantic region of peace, prosperity, and shared development.

For his part, Gambia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Gambians Abroad, Mamadou Tangara, affirmed that this 5th ministerial meeting illustrates Morocco’s leadership and proves that this process “belongs to all of us,” noting that the vision stems from the wisdom of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, who has always advocated for the Atlantic space to be “a space of solidarity, peace, and prosperity.” The Minister of Foreign Affairs of São Tomé and Príncipe, Ilza Maria dos Santos Amado Vaz, described the meeting as “very positive” and reaffirmed her country’s commitment to define and implement strategies based on political dialogue.

Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, also praised the royal initiative as a suitable platform for strengthening cooperation among countries of the Atlantic space.

In this context, the minister called for intensified cooperation on security to address rising threats in the Atlantic area, including criminal and piracy activities.

In a similar statement, the Director General of the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI), Mohamed Methqal, emphasized the importance of this ministerial meeting, as it serves to implement His Majesty the King’s initiative promoting peace, shared prosperity, and the vitality of the Atlantic coast.

Methqal also stressed that the meeting led to the adoption of the first implementation report of the initiative since its launch, and formalized various recommendations made by several ministers, along with the scheduling of the next ministerial meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September 2025.