Sahel States Back Morocco's Sea Access Initiative, Commit to Accelerating its Implementation
The foreign ministers of the Sahel States Alliance, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, welcomed an initiative launched by Moroccan King Mohammed VI in 2023 to facilitate their access to the Atlantic Ocean, reaffirming their full support for and commitment to accelerating its implementation.
The Moroccan news agency, MAP, said the King received on Monday the foreign ministers of Burkina Faso, Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré, of Mali, Abdoulaye Diop, and Niger, Bakary Yaou Sangaré.
The meeting came within the framework of the Kingdom's strong and longstanding relations with the three countries, ties that have always been characterized by sincere friendship, mutual respect, active solidarity, and fruitful cooperation.
MAP said the Alliance's foreign ministers welcomed Morocco's actions and initiatives aimed at promoting the economic and social development of the countries of the region and their peoples.
'The ministers particularly welcomed the initiative launched by the King to facilitate access for the Sahel countries to the Atlantic Ocean, reaffirming their full support for and commitment to accelerating its implementation,' the news agency stated.
In 2023, the King suggested to launch an international initiative to enable the Sahel countries to have access to the Atlantic Ocean using Moroccan ports stretching along the Western Sahara coastline, a region disputed with the Algerian-backed Polisario Front.
So far, Morocco has not announced a timetable for the implementation of the initiative, which hinges on upgrading infrastructure in the Sahel countries.
Following the meeting with the King, Mali's foreign minister said: 'We expressed our appreciation for the Royal initiative aimed at enabling Atlantic Ocean access to our three countries, to diversify our access to the sea and to reinforce peace and security.'
Niger's foreign minister described Morocco's initiative as 'a windfall for the three landlocked countries.'
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