Mohammed VI: Youth and Development Top Priorities

Rabat (Agencies): King Mohammed VI of Morocco called on Friday for the new legislative and executive terms to serve as a turning point for continuing Morocco’s economic ascent, strengthening social and territorial justice, and accelerating institutional reforms. He emphasized that the coming phase requires moving from announced programs to field action and linking development to citizens’ needs.

The call came in a speech delivered by King Mohammed VI on the occasion of opening the first session of the first year of the twelfth legislative term. In his address, the King stressed the necessity of launching a new generation of major strategies, particularly in the fields of water, energy, and food security, industrialization, the digital economy, and artificial intelligence, alongside developing strategic reserves and ensuring the supply of essential goods.

He affirmed that Morocco’s ambition to consolidate its position as an emerging and reliable economic power requires achieving a balance between economic growth and social and territorial justice. He urged the national private sector to play a strategic role in developmental transformation by enhancing investment, innovation, job creation, and export capacities.

The Moroccan monarch placed youth issues at the top of the priorities, calling for the formulation of a comprehensive vision that ensures equal opportunities in education, training, and economic integration, and strengthens young people’s confidence in their country’s institutions and their ability to achieve social advancement, under conditions of freedom, dignity, and stability.

On the axis of territorial development, he stressed that the real challenge of the coming phase lies in field action, identifying the actual problems of each region, and devising realistic solutions that respond to their specificities and the needs of their residents.

Internationally, King Mohammed VI affirmed that partnership with other countries is a sovereign choice and a voluntary commitment, and cannot be subject to pressure, threats, or blackmail. He stressed that Morocco has established itself as a responsible and reliable partner that fulfills its commitments and expects its partners to reciprocate.

In this context, the royal address addressed cooperation on migration, noting that the current model has become outdated in light of recurring crises. He pointed to the challenges facing cooperation with Spain, including legal provisions and judicial decisions that he said hinder the deportation of minors and individuals claiming asylum status, thereby fueling the ambitions of criminal networks.

He clarified that the “balanced approach” adopted by the Kingdom of Morocco in managing migration has yielded “tangible results,” noting that Morocco-Spain cooperation has seen important developments in various fields, including combating irregular migration. However, it currently faces challenges related to certain “outdated legal provisions and judicial decisions detached from reality.”

The Moroccan monarch criticized statements made by Spanish officials regarding the recent migration crisis, stating that “partnership is a sovereign choice and a voluntary commitment, and will never be subject to any pressure, threat, or blackmail.”

He announced that his country would present to its partners a document containing a “clear and practical strategic vision,” aimed at establishing a new direction that enhances joint development, economic competitiveness, and regional stability.