Speaking at the 10th Geopolitical Meetings of Trouville (northern France), where Morocco was the guest of honor, Ms. Benkhadra stressed that the Royal Initiatives for Africa are geared towards sustainable win-win African cooperation, both bilaterally and multilaterally, and will contribute to bringing the continent’s countries closer together economically.
The pipeline project will help meet part of the energy and electricity needs of the 13 countries concerned, which together account for 400 million people, and will also help develop key industrial sectors, particularly the mining industries, explained the ONHYM Director General during a roundtable held as part of the event.
The energy and socio-economic benefits of this large-scale project, she continued, will also position Africa as a key player in securing Europe’s supply and diversifying its energy resources.
On the project’s progress, Ms. Benkhadra pointed out that considerable steps had been taken in terms of engineering and environmental impact studies, stressing that all the conditions for its success are in place.
“We aim to accelerate the next steps following the signing of the treaty relating to the project, with the creation of the company responsible for overseeing the upcoming phases,” she noted.
This roundtable, which was also attended by the Director General of the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water, Tarik Hammane, provided an opportunity to exchange views on the project’s strategic scope, its impact on regional economic dynamics, and its importance for the energy security of European countries.
Ms. Benkhadra concluded that Morocco, thanks to its geostrategic position, its current interconnections and ongoing projects (the Atlantic African gas pipeline, green hydrogen, and interconnections with African countries), “is an energy corridor and a bridgehead between Africa and Europe.”
The meeting was marked by the presence of Morocco’s Ambassador to Paris, Samira Sitail, the Mayor of Trouville-sur-Mer, Sylvie de Gaetano, as well as elected officials, academics, and researchers from various backgrounds.
The Geopolitical Meetings of Trouville focus on the state of Franco-African cooperation and the prospects for Paris’ relations with the continent, through a series of contributions presented by experts, diplomats, academics, and historians.
Editorial team/le7tv