A delegation from the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) paid a visit to the Tanger Med port complex on Sunday.
This delegation, led by the president of the PAP, Charumbira Fortune Zephania, is composed of the four vice-presidents of the PAP, namely Messouda Mohamed Laghdaf, Gayo Ashebir Woldergiorgis, Mendes Goncalves Dos Passos Lucia Maria, and Ango Ndoutoume François, the president of the Caucus from East Africa, Mondon Michel Terence Hughes, and from the deputy to the Egyptian House of Representatives, president of the commission for cooperation, international relations and conflict resolution at the PAP, Elgabaly Sherif Mostafa.
The visit of this delegation, also composed of the rapporteur of the Committee on Cooperation, International Relations and Conflict Resolution, Kumba Lomi Bedo, the Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Zambia, Mulenga Kampamba Shem, and the member of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Eswatini, Motsa Zintombi Thandi, as well as several executives of the Pan-African Parliament, was an opportunity to learn about the large-scale projects launched in Morocco, in particular the Tanger Med port complex, and to highlight the importance of port infrastructure for international trade and the role of Tanger Med in this respect.
During this visit, which took place in the presence of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rachid Talbi El Alami, the Governor of the province of Fahs-Anjra, Abdelkhalek Marzouki, the Director General of the Tanger Med Port Authority, Hassan Abkari, and many officials of Port Tanger Med, members of the parliamentary delegation discovered the facilities and the organization of the port, as well as its role as a key global logistics gateway and example of integration into world trade.
This meeting was marked by the presentation of a presentation on the Tangier Med port complex by Mr. Abkari in which he emphasized the importance of this large-scale project, initiated by HM King Mohammed VI, passing review the different stages of development of this world-class port complex.
Mr. Abkari recalled the positioning of Tanger Med as the first port in Africa for five years and the first port in the Mediterranean for 2 years, stressing that this large-scale infrastructure plays an essential role as a transhipment hub.
In a statement to M24, MAP’s continuous news channel, Mr. Fortune Zephania pointed out that the delegation is making an official visit to Morocco from September 24 to 27 at the invitation of the Moroccan Parliament, noting that this visit aims to strengthen cooperation and take advantage of the Moroccan experience in several areas.
The President of PAP affirmed that the members of the delegation were impressed by the significant development experienced by Tanger Med, the largest container port in Africa and the Mediterranean, which offers processing capacities for 9 million containers and 7 million of passengers. “Thanks to its modern infrastructure and sophisticated technology, the Tanger-Med port has become one of the world’s pioneering maritime platforms”, he said, calling on Morocco to share its “unprecedented experience” in this area with other African countries. Morocco has proven, through the Tanger-Med port, that “Africa can take the lead and develop by itself”, insisted the president of the African legislative institution, adding “we need to share this experience with other African countries, with a view to promoting the development of the continent”.
For her part, the 1st Vice-President of the PAP, Messouda Mohamed Laghdaf, stressed that this visit was an opportunity for the members of the delegation to get closer to the organization and the role of the Tangier Med port complex in attracting foreign investment, creating jobs and promoting regional and international trade.
“We are impressed by the significant progress made by Morocco, under the enlightened leadership of HM King Mohammed VI”, she said, noting that “the Kingdom has made a significant qualitative leap in the economic, social and Politics “.
After commending the warm welcome and hospitality extended to the PAP delegation by the Moroccan authorities, Ms. Laghdaf expressed her best wishes for more progress, prosperity and peace for Morocco.
For her part, the 3rd vice-president of the PAP, Mendes Goncalves Dos Passos Lucia Maria, affirmed that this visit is an opportunity to learn about the initiatives carried out by Morocco in favor of Africa and the process of integration. Kingdom’s economy in Africa, noting that the Tanger Med port complex shows that integration requires the construction of major infrastructure.
“Morocco, thanks to the far-sighted vision of HM King Mohammed VI, has made significant progress in different areas,” said Ms. Goncalves Dos Passos, noting that African integration requires the harmonization of economic policies, particularly in the public sector.