The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation has scheduled a series of events for the celebration of this Africa Day, which coincides this year with the fiftieth anniversary of the creation of the Organisation of African Unity, of which Morocco was among the founding members.

Morocco has always placed its continent of belonging, Africa, among the priorities of its foreign policy. Indeed, Morocco's African policy is fundamentally based on two principles, namely its identity and its irreversible commitment to the development of the continent. This identity is the fruit of common cultural values, a common history and a dense human mixing with the countries of sub-Saharan Africa. Morocco's commitment to Africa stems from the Kingdom's faith in a strong, prosperous, united African continent where development necessarily passes through integration and cooperation. This commitment was once again reaffirmed with brilliance by the recent African tour of H.M. King Mohammed VI, last March, which gave a new impetus to South-South cooperation, established as a strategic choice by the Kingdom. Faithful to its African belonging, Moroccan foreign policy was marked, from the beginning, by Morocco's resolute and solidary support for the struggle for independence and the liberation of African countries from the colonial yoke. Several African countries keep a memory that is to the honour of the late H.M.

Mohammed V and his successor the late H.M. Hassan II, who had provided precious support to national liberation movements. At the dawn of independence, the Kingdom committed itself to the consolidation of African unity, which was particularly illustrated by the creation of the Organisation of African Unity, of which Morocco is among the founding countries.

Over time, Moroccan diplomatic action has set itself the strategic objective of raising cooperation with African countries to the level of a true acting and solidary partnership within the framework of the new cause of development. It is in this perspective that the multiple African visits made by

His Majesty King Mohammed VI, since the enthronement of the Sovereign, have created a remarkable dynamic in relations with many African countries and given a strong impetus to South-South cooperation.

These royal visits have punctuated a series of cooperation agreements in the fields of economic, technical, social, cultural and human development, such as the fight against poverty and disease, agriculture and agri-food, fisheries, education and training, water management and irrigation, basic infrastructure and urban planning, information technology, financial management and banking. Morocco's strategic vision also gives increasing importance to the economic aspect in Morocco's cooperation with African countries. To this end, the Moroccan government is increasingly involving the private sector with a view to strengthening trade and increasing Morocco's investment flows with the African space.

Sharing experiences in sectors with high technology use has always been an important value in Morocco's cooperation relations with its African partners. In this perspective, tripartite cooperation presents itself as an innovative and promising tool for the transfer of expertise and know-how to African countries. The celebration of Africa Day thus fits into the consolidation of Morocco's dynamic commitment within its African space, a commitment that is based on a common history, ancestral spiritual ties and shared aspirations for an Africa that unites its efforts to catch up on delays, free itself from its ills and ensure a better future through development and progress.