Here follows the full text of the speech read out on Saturday by Government Chief Abdelilah Benkirane:
“Praise be to God
May peace and blessings be upon the Prophet, His Kith and Kin
Mr. Jacob Zuma, President of the Republic of South Africa,
Mr. Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China,
Distinguished Heads of State and Government,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
First of all, I should like to say how delighted I am to see the Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) meet for the first time on African soil, thereby confirming not only the principle of geographical rotation but also joint appropriation, by all partners, of the objectives and mechanisms of the FOCAC process.
I wish to express my appreciation to Mr. Xi Jinping, the President of the People's Republic of China, and to the Chinese Government for building this bridge of cooperation between China and the African continent. I also want to salute the Chinese authorities’ commitment to Pan-Africanism.
Above all, I should like to underscore the important role played by the People’s Republic of China as well as its continued contributions to the development of our continent and its exemplary solidarity with African countries. I wish to pay tribute to this great nation, which is steeped in history, for all it has been doing for the emergence of a peaceful, multipolar world, and for its untiring action to serve the best interests of the countries of the South and support their legitimate ambitions.
Finally, I should like to take this opportunity to pay tribute, once again, to the memory of Mr. Nelson Mandela, the icon of freedom and dignity, who had close ties with the Kingdom of Morocco, where he spent two years, from 1960 to 1962. The visit Mr. Mandela paid to Morocco in 1994, at the invitation of my late father His Majesty King Hassan II - may he rest in peace - was one of those rare, special moments in life, because his humanism and graciousness were matched only by his kindness and simplicity.
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The development of China-Africa relations is a strategic choice to which we are committed and deeply attached. Our determination to carry out concerted action and engage in pragmatic cooperation is based on the principles of mutual benefits and shared development.
Our partnership derives its effectiveness from its format, its participatory approach and the constant quest for efficiency. Needless to say, each country has its own specific features, and that is why this Forum is important. It is the result of a judicious combination: it is both a platform for political dialogue within the framework of South-South cooperation and a mechanism for bilateral cooperation between China and Africa, founded on equal treatment and mutual benefits.
Through the Forum, we have taken important steps together to enhance our cooperation and have achieved tangible results and attained many of our goals. This was possible thanks to a consensual spirit, and to the serenity and mutual understanding characterizing our work together.
We can, indeed, be proud of the accomplishments made. FOCAC is now credited with fifteen years of fruitful cooperation and successful strategic partnership. I believe the Forum is mature enough for us to move to a more advanced, more sophisticated stage in our cooperation – one that is consistent with the changes and challenges the world is currently facing.
This second Summit holds so much promise. I am convinced this meeting will give us a chance to consolidate a unique, multi-dimensional partnership model that brings together African genius and Chinese resourcefulness, helping us make the most of our countries’ assets and potential.
I would like, in this respect, to commend President Xi Jinping on the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiatives he has launched.
This historic initiative reflects a truly strategic vision in the area of bilateral and multilateral relations. It seeks to establish closer connections between Asian, European and African countries.
Given its geographical location, the Kingdom of Morocco could play a constructive role in extending the Maritime Silk Road, not only to ‘Atlantic Europe’, but also and especially to West Africa nations, with whom my country has multi-dimensional ties.
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Morocco is particularly keen to develop concrete, structural cooperation projects with African sister nations within the framework of a proximity policy that makes man its foremost priority.
This is evidenced by the growing number of human development partnerships between our countries, especially in the areas of health, low-cost housing, food security and access to drinking water and electricity. We also have cooperation projects in productive sectors which generate growth and create jobs, such as agriculture, industry and infrastructure, not to mention the service sector, including banking, insurance and telecommunications.
Beyond these bilateral partnerships, Morocco will continue to share its experience and well-established know-how in order to develop rich, diverse triangular cooperation with China, based on a genuine "win-win" partnership.
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Our projects and our shared ambitions for the achievement of economic and human development in Africa hinge on security, stability and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of African countries.
No one can deny this: today, global terrorism poses a threat to our security and puts our societies at risk. This growing danger requires collective mobilization, mutual cooperation and close consultation.
A firm believer in the China-Africa partnership, my country is ready to do whatever it takes to strengthen this process and rise successfully to the challenge of building a stable, prosperous Africa together. We should look forward to our common future with optimism because Africa has faith in its capabilities, its resources and its skills.
Thank you.
Wassalamu alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh.”
