During her first official visit to Morocco on February 9, 2022, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a “green partnership” between the European Union (EU) and Morocco. An example of partnership that the EU wishes to set up with African countries to support them in their energy transition.
This project aims to strengthen cooperation in terms of energy, the fight against global warming, environmental protection and the promotion of “green economy”, said Ursula von der Leyen leaving her meeting with Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch.
Morocco is also the EU’s largest economic partner on the African continent, with trade preferences in place for twenty years. For Rabat, the most important part of this partnership relates to the export of its agricultural products to the EU. While for the 27, one of the main issues concerns the deployment of the European fishing fleet on the Moroccan coasts and the waters bordering Western Sahara.
Ms von der Leyen also met on February 10, 2022 with Senegalese President Macky Sall who has just taken over the presidency of the African Union. Their discussion focused in part on the preparation of the European Union-African Union summit on February 17 and 18 in Brussels.
About this EU-AU summit, Emmanuel Macron, who is currently the rotating president of the EU, spoke of a “new economic and financial deal with Africa”. The French president pleaded for the deployment “an education, health and climate agenda commensurate with Africa’s challenges”.
The President of the European Commission also presented in Dakar the new European investment strategy Global Gateway which is intended as a response to New Silk Roads drawn by China.
“Today, I am proud to announce more than 150 billion euros through the Africa-Europe program; it is the first ever regional plan under Global Gateway”
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commissionat AFP
The EU intends to mobilize by 2027 more than 150 billion euros of European investment in infrastructure projects in Africa.
On the eve of this mini-African tour, Ursula von der Leyen affirmed that “the European Union is Africa’s most reliable and loyal partner”.