Morocco places knowledge and the valorization of maritime space at the heart of its development model, underlined Abdeltif Loudyi, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of the National Defense Administration, on Wednesday in Casablanca.
In his opening address at the Seminar on African Cooperation in the Fields of Hydrography, Oceanography, and Marine Cartography, Loudyi stated that Morocco has made substantial investments to strengthen its capacities and equipment, notably through the commissioning of modern oceanographic vessels, including the multi-mission hydrographic and oceanographic vessel "Dar Al Beida", as well as the ships "Al Hassan Al Marrakechi" and "Ibn Sina II".
These accomplishments, he added, complement a network of wave-measurement stations, high-frequency marine radars, and traffic monitoring systems, enhancing Morocco’s technical and scientific capabilities and addressing the growing needs in terms of maritime safety.
Furthermore, Loudyi emphasized Morocco’s ambition to further develop cooperative ties with the hydrographic services of African brotherly and friendly countries, as well as with international organizations specializing in these areas.
He stressed that the holding of this seminar is in line with the enlightened vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, who places African cooperation at the core of the Kingdom’s strategic priorities, guided by a spirit of solidarity, security, and shared prosperity.
This event also represents "an opportunity to establish this concrete initiative as a milestone expanding cooperation among African States within the framework of the Royal Atlantic Initiative, a true Royal lever for solidarity and shared prosperity across our continent," Loudyi concluded.
For his part, Rear Admiral Mohamed Tahin, Inspector of the Royal Moroccan Navy, noted that this seminar "naturally follows the discussions initiated during the 18th Conference of the Eastern Atlantic Hydrographic Commission, hosted by the Kingdom in May 2024, which strongly highlighted the need for closer coordination among the Atlantic-facing African States to manage the vast maritime areas that connect us."
"Only close and united cooperation can create a dense and complementary network of knowledge that promotes better management of marine resources and greater resilience to environmental and security challenges," he pointed out.
In this regard, Tahin underlined the experience of the Royal Navy since the establishment of the National Coordination Committee for Hydrography, Oceanography, and Cartography, upon the High Instructions of His Majesty the King, Supreme Commander and Chief of the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces, which is responsible for coordinating and harmonizing the work of the various actors and institutions involved in these fields.
He affirmed the Royal Navy’s readiness, drawing on its extensive expertise developed and consolidated over the years in hydrography, oceanography, and marine cartography, to share its experience and lessons learned with African partners, both scientifically and technically, as well as in human capacity building.
This seminar, held from October 8 to 10 in Casablanca by the National Defense Administration and the Royal Navy in implementation of the instructions of King Mohammed VI, Supreme Commander and Chief of the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces, brings together representatives of African member countries of the Conference of the Eastern Atlantic Hydrographic Commission, the Director of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), the Director of the Norwegian Regional Electronic Chart Distribution Center, and representatives of the French Navy’s Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service.
The opening session was attended by Minister of Transport and Logistics Abdessamad Kayouh, Minister of Equipment and Water Nizar Baraka, Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation Azzedine El Midaoui, Secretary of State in charge of Maritime Fisheries Zakia Driouich, Director General of the National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines, Amina Benkhadra, and Director General of the National Ports Agency Mustapha Farès.
