HM King Mohammed VI sent a message on Friday for the European Union-African Union (EU-AU) summit which opened on Thursday in Brussels. In this speech, King Mohammed VI recalled the forward-looking objectives around which the vision of the AU-EU partnership should be aligned.

In this message, read on his behalf by the Moroccan Foreign Minister, Nasser Bourita, the Moroccan king set out the post-COVID priorities, particularly those that require convergence of efforts between the African and European continents. “Education, culture, vocational training, mobility and migration: these are the priorities of our action: in Morocco, in Africa and within the framework of our partnership with the European Union”, he said. underline the. The sovereign called on European and African countries to adopt “joint action” to address the challenges related to these areas.

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In fact, the sovereign insisted that the king insisted that ,Guaranteeing education, accelerating the training and employment of our youth, promoting culture, ordering migration and mobility is the challenge of the partnership between the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU)., Adding to this in this context, it is up to the youth that these disciplines converge and it is up to them that the partnership between the two continents should invest in reaching its full potential. “First and foremost, because it is in young people – our human capital – that these disciplines converge and it is for them that the partnership between the two continents must be invested in to reach its full potential. Then, because These key sectors have been hit by the pandemic, for which we need to take major joint action,” he said.

With regard to education, the king insisted that ,94% of students worldwide faced school closures at the height of the pandemic”, to protect the continuity of education in this regard, keeping in mind the new context of digital transformation of education. ,This general need is particularly important in Africa where 50% of the population is under the age of 20″, argued the sovereign. For HM King Mohammed VI, “this general need is particularly important in Africa where 50% of the population is is under the age of 20”.

In the field of culture, which “has not even been spared from the health crisis”, it serves as “a real lever for synergy between Africa, Europe and Africa, to restore cultural cooperation, to restart the region”. There will be question. Europe”. In this regard, the king emphasized the importance of restoring cultural cooperation to Africa, Europe and a real lever for rapprochement between Africa and Europe, in order to regenerate the region. For the sovereign and In the eyes of the state, access to education and training, employability of youth, promotion of culture and orderly migration are challenges to the partnership between AU and the European Union.

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At the same time, the king gave special importance to the subject of migration through his speech. Through his speech, the sovereign indicated that the pandemic has demonstrated that in terms of mobility, migrants do not harm the economy. “The pandemic has demonstrated that in terms of mobility, migrants do not harm the economy. They even have a positive impact for host countries – where they are often “essential workers” – and for their countries of origin. So we must understand the issue of migration for what it is: not just a challenge, but a collection of opportunities,” added King Mohammed VI.

Here is the full text of the royal speech, which was read out by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Living Abroad, Nasser Bourita.

“Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Heads of State and Government;

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen;

Following the direction of history and the need for a shared destiny it is only natural that Morocco addresses itself simultaneously with Africa and Europe, a neighboring partner and immediate.

Education, culture, professional training, mobility and migration: these are our action priorities: in Morocco, in Africa and within the framework of our partnership with the European Union.

First and foremost, because it is in young people – our human capital – that these disciplines converge and it is in them that the partnership between the two continents must be invested in to reach its full potential.

Then, because these key areas have been badly hit by the pandemic, that requires us to take massive joint action.

First, in the field of education, remember that 94% of students worldwide suffered from school closures at the peak of the pandemic. Keeping in mind the new context of digital transformation of education, it is up to us to protect the continuity of education. This general need is especially important in Africa where 50% of the population is under the age of 20.

Furthermore, our schools, our universities and our vocational training establishments, like our respective economies, need a strong revival, to capture the nearly 1.800 billion hours of lost education.

Moreover, the pandemic has not spared the culture, first from an economic point of view, then from the point of view of its reach: in the region, the blow is substantial. So today there is a question of re-establishing cultural cooperation in order to restart the region – a real lever for synergy in Africa, in Europe, and between Africa and Europe.

Finally, the pandemic has demonstrated that in terms of mobility, migrants do not harm the economy. They even have a positive impact for host countries – where they are often “essential workers” – and for their countries of origin. So we must understand the issue of migration for what it is: not just a challenge, but a collection of opportunities.

We affirm with more conviction that as leaders of the African Union on the question of migration, we always seek to clear up misunderstandings. In addition, there is the business of the African Observatory on Migration, the creation of which we have encouraged: objectifying data; restore the truth; To reconcile the interests of Africa and Europe when they seem contradictory and to replace security with a dynamism-development continuum, with the humanistic spirit of the Treaty of Marrakesh.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Guaranteeing education, accelerating the training and employment of our youth, promoting culture, ordering migration and mobility is the challenge of the partnership between the African Union and the European Union.

Our partnership vision must align with these forward-looking objectives. Neither Africa nor Europe can achieve them while acting in isolation. Our responsibility is common. We are no less interested.

May our discussion today be a step in that direction. Because, the real prosperity of the partnership between the African Union and the European Union is not in bringing 81 countries together; It is to involve them fully in the direction of peace, stability and shared prosperity; That is, towards the future of all citizens of Africa and Europe.