Morocco's new ambassador to South Africa, Youssef Amrani, pledged to deepen diplomatic ties with South Africa for an inclusive development in Africa. Morocco bases its policies and contributions in Africa on the desire to position the continent as a hub in a world perpetually change, he said in an interview with a South African newspaper. «We are engaged constructively and productively with all African countries to combat the factors of instability, while promoting African unity and solidarity and enabling the continent to overcome the challenges it faces particularly in the areas of peace, collective security and sustainable development, while respecting the shared values, the principles of peaceful resolutions of conflicts and States' territorial integrity», he said. Youssef El Amrani believes that South Africa is strategic to inclusive development across the continent. «We are aware that Morocco and South Africa are the largest investors in the continent and as regional hubs they are called upon to play major roles in the African integration process through enhancing inter-African trade and investment to promote growth, shared prosperity through jobs creation and through appropriate tools like the African continental free-trade area», he said. The Moroccan diplomat also expressed the desire to strengthen export capacities and promote people to people relations by deepening exchanges in the fields of culture, education, food security, climate change, energy, water management and tourism. On the Sahara issue, Youssef El Amrani recalled that this «process acknowledges a very positive momentum and it's to be emphasised that the past year has been a turning point, thanks to the adoption of Security Council resolutions 2440/2468 and the constructive commitment of the UN Secretary General».
