Andean Parliament Renews Support for Morocco's Territorial Integrity
Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita met on Wednesday in Rabat with Gustavo Pacheco Villar, the President of the Andean Parliament.
During a press conference, Pacheco Villar conveyed the parliament's support for Morocco's territorial integrity and sovereignty over its southern provinces in Western Sahara.
The Andean parliament is a governing body of the Andean community that is confirmed by representatives of its four member states – including Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
One associate member, Chile, is also part of the parties that confirmed the parliament, which is composed of 25 parliamentarians, five representing each state.
During the press conference, Pacheco Villar stressed the parliament's determination to increase South-South cooperation between Latin America and Morocco, describing the North African country as not only the gateway to Africa but also to Europe.
Morocco has long confirmed its commitment towards its role as a gateway for diplomacy and South-South cooperation to combat emerging challenges that affectg regional and continental stability.
For his part, Oscar Dario Perez, Vice President of the Andean Parliament, commended Morocco's development momentum under King Mohammed VI's leadership in all sectors – including infrastructure, energy transition, poverty reduction, and GDP growth.
'Thanks to its economic growth and strategic geographic position, Morocco is now regarded as a key partner for both the European Union and the United States,' Perez said, noting the desire of the Andean Parliament member countries to learn from Morocco's exports in different areas.
Morocco has been earning international support for its position on Western Sahara, particularly its credible and serious Autonomy Plan to end the dispute.
The UN-led political process to solve the dispute has been in a state of stagnation, as Algeria's regime, which hosts, finances, aims, and supports the separatist Polisario Front, refuses to take part in roundtable discussions to come to an agreed upon political solution.
Despite these obstacles, Morocco continues to stress the importance of these UN-sponsored roundtable discussions to engage all parties.
The North African country has frequently reiterated its position based on the four fundamental principles as defined by King Mohammed VI.
Among the principles are Morocco's support for the UN-led political process towards finding a political solution, as well as the importance of Morocco's Autonomy Plan as the one and only solution to the regional dispute.
The third fundamental principle is the resumption of roundtable talks with the participation of all parties, including Algeria.
All parties should also respect the ceasefire established to end violations of international law as a prerequisite for the continuation of the political process.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Morocco World
5 hours ago
- Morocco World
Morocco Climbs to Fourth Place in MENA Startup Funding Rankings
Rabat — Morocco quietly but firmly established itself as a rising tech hub in the Middle East and North Africa startup scene in July 2025. The North African country jumped to fourth place in regional entrepreneurial funding, surpassing Egypt and proving its potential as an emerging technology center. Morocco's strategic advance came through a $7.5 million funding round raised by Ora Technologies. While modest in absolute terms, this deal pushed Morocco into the MENA top five rankings compiled by the Wamda platform and Digital Digest magazine The country now sits ahead of Egypt, which dropped in rankings due to macroeconomic tensions and currency instability. This performance shows Morocco's growing appeal to regional and international investors, particularly in high-potential technology sectors. The funding round signals a shift in perception: Morocco no longer sits on the periphery but actively attracts significant investment in innovative fields. Record month for MENA Startups July 2025 proved exceptional for startup funding across the MENA region. Fifty-seven startups raised a combined $783 million, marking a 1,411% increase from the previous month and more than double the amount recorded in July 2024. Two mega-deals drove this surge: e-commerce company Ninja and deeptech firm XPANCEO together accounted for 56% of the monthly total. In the ranking, Saudi Arabia maintained its regional leadership position with $396.5 million raised across 16 deals. The UAE followed with $359 million spread among 22 startups. Iraq surprised observers by claiming third place through a single $15 million deal for InstaBank. Morocco secured fourth position, while Egypt fell to fifth place with only $4 million raised across seven startups. Seven months into 2025, MENA startup funding has already exceeded the entire 2024 total. This momentum confirms the regional ecosystem's maturation and shows investment diversification beyond traditional hubs. The emergence of markets like Iraq and Morocco in the rankings reflects investors' evolving priorities as they balance immediate scalability with long-term potential. Morocco's top-five positioning demonstrates its ability to integrate into this dynamic ecosystem — one that is rapidly expanding, making its way to the top 10 African startup ecosystems according to the Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2025. Tags: Moroccan startupsMoroccoStartups ecosystemStartups in Morocco
Morocco World
6 hours ago
- Morocco World
Morocco Pitches Ambitious Gazoduc Pipeline Project to Key US Investors at US-Energy Forum
Rabat — Morocco joined fellow African countries in Houston, Texas, to hold key conversations around strategic investment opportunities throughout the continent for American stakeholders at the US-Africa Energy Forum held on August 6-7. Their central pitch? The ambitious Gazoduc Pipeline project, a $25 billion infrastructure initiative to connect Nigeria's gas supply to Moroccan and European markets. Morocco's presentation on this crucial international stage marks a significant step toward securing foreign backing at a key time when US investors are actively seeking to boost energy projects across Africa. Nawfal Drari, Director of Project Finance at Morocco's National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM), which heads the project, delivered talking points covering the initiative's progress and investment opportunities, adding that the pipeline has reached a strategic phase. Launched in 2017 under the guidance of Morocco's King Mohammed VI and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, the project now moves closer to its Final Investment Decision — and a show of support from US investors could catapult that progress into an accelerated reality. Houston: A strategic location The US-Africa Energy Forum's location in Houston was not coincidental. Commonly known as the 'Energy Capital of the World,' the Texas city is home to over 4,600 energy-related companies, making it a prime location for deep-pocketed investors willing to hold a stake in key international projects in the sector. One key player is the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), which has announced that it is evaluating oil and gas infrastructure investment opportunities across Africa. This signals a shift of broader US backing for more traditional energy assets across Africa away from solely its renewables focus. DFC Director Selam Demissie spoke at the Texas forum, saying that the agency is 'actively looking' at both upstream and downstream oil and gas infrastructure projects. Against this backdrop, the forum provided ONHYM a prime platform for Morocco to pitch Gazoduc to US investors as a key investment opportunity in Africa's evolving energy landscape. The Moroccan national office said that 'this strategic project will enable African countries to access a sustainable and affordable source of energy, while also serving as a tool for economic and social integration.' Gazoduc to set Morocco up as a prime energy transit hub For Morocco, the pipeline represents more than just energy infrastructure. The government views it as a catalyst for economic transformation that will create thousands of jobs and establish the North African country as a primary energy transit hub connecting Europe, Africa, and the Atlantic basin. The massive pipeline will stretch approximately 6,000 kilometers across multiple African countries, connecting Nigeria's natural gas reserves to Morocco and eventually to European markets. Engineers designed the system to carry between 15 and 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually. The project promises to transform energy access across the continent. Officials estimate the pipeline will serve about 400 million people in 13 countries, dramatically expanding reliable energy access throughout West and North Africa. The ambitious project has already overcome several challenging hurdles, with engineers completing detailed design studies in 2024, and teams finishing environmental and social impact assessments for the northern section. Developers plan to build it in phases, with a holding company overseeing financing and construction. Three separate project companies will handle different segments of the route. In December 2024, West African leaders approved the Intergovernmental Agreement at the 66th CEDEAO Summit, outlining each country's rights and responsibilities for the project. Industry experts describe the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline as a major driver for economic, industrial, and digital development across the region. They assert that the project aligns with growing US interest in African energy partnerships and infrastructure development, an argument that aims to gain traction following the US-Energy Forum. Tags: Gazoduc ProjectMorocco-Nigeria pipelinenatural gasONYHM
Morocco World
7 hours ago
- Morocco World
Morocco Presents $25 Billion Gazoduc Pipeline Project at US-Africa Energy Forum
Rabat — Morocco presented the ambitious African Atlantic Gas Pipeline project to potential US investors during the US-Africa Energy Forum held on August 6-7. The presentation marks a significant step toward securing international backing for the $25 billion infrastructure initiative. Nawfal Drari, Director of Project Finance at Morocco's National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM), delivered talking points covering the pipeline's progress and investment opportunities. The project, which leaders launched under the guidance of Morocco's King Mohammed VI and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari in 2017, now moves closer to its Final Investment Decision. In a post on LinkedIn, ONHYM said that 'this strategic project will enable African countries to access a sustainable and affordable source of energy, while also serving as a tool for economic and social integration.' The massive pipeline will stretch approximately 6,000 kilometers across multiple African countries, connecting Nigeria's natural gas reserves to Morocco and eventually to European markets. Engineers designed the system to carry between 15 and 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually. The project promises to transform energy access across the continent. Officials estimate the pipeline will serve about 400 million people in 13 countries, dramatically expanding reliable energy access throughout West and North Africa. For Morocco, the pipeline represents more than just energy infrastructure. The government views it as a catalyst for economic transformation that will create thousands of jobs and establish the North African country as a primary energy transit hub connecting Europe, Africa, and the Atlantic basin. The ambitious project has already overcome several challenging hurdles, with engineers completing detailed design studies in 2024 and teams finishing environmental and social impact assessments for the northern section. Developers plan to build it in phases, with a holding company overseeing financing and construction. Three separate project companies will handle different segments of the route. In December 2024, West African leaders approved the Intergovernmental Agreement at the 66th CEDEAO Summit, outlining each country's rights and responsibilities for the project. Industry experts describe the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline as a major driver for economic, industrial, and digital development across the region. They asserted the project aligns with growing US interest in African energy partnerships and infrastructure development. The US-Africa Energy Forum provided ONHYM with a platform to connect with American stakeholders and feature the pipeline as a key investment opportunity in Africa's evolving energy landscape. Tags: Gazoduc ProjectMorocco-Nigeria pipelinenatural gasONYHM
