The Crans Montana Forum was held in the Moroccan southern city of Dakhla from March 12-14 in the presence of distinguished figures from 36 African, 30 Asian, 31 European and 15 American countries, as well as more than 20 regional and international organizations.
This high-level meeting, held under the Patronage of His Majesty Mohammed VI, King of Morocco, on the theme of ‘‘Africa, regional cooperation and South-South cooperation'' was also an occasion to reinforce the status of Dakhla as the crossroads of dialogue on international matters as energy, security and south-south cooperation.
Several state delegates, namely the Macedonian President, Gjorge Ivanov, prime ministers of Guinea, Mohamed Said Fofana, of Mali, Cheikh Modibo Diarra, of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerritle, and of Salomon islands, Douglas Ete, and also deputy secretary general of the UN, Philippe Douste Blazy, Abdelaziz Altwaijri, Director General of ISESCO, and former president of Spanish Government, José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.
African women were also widely represented. Among the guests were Maja Ivanova, First Lady of the Republic of Macedonia, former First Lady of Ghana, Nana Konadu Rawlings and Ms. Aminata Tall, President, Economic, Social & Environmental (Senegal).
Participants in the Forum discussed a variety of economic and developmental issues of Africa under such themes as “Economic Development in Africa: Promoting South-South Cooperation and Morocco’s African Cooperation Policy”; “Towards a Better Management of Natural Resources in Africa”; “Challenges of the Digital Revolution in the World and Africa”; “Developing Maritime Industries in Africa”; “Trans-border Diseases and Epidemics and their Threats to Public Health”; Developing Agricultural and Food Industries and Marine Fisheries in Africa”; “Developing the Financial and Banking Sector in Africa”; “Developing the Tourism Industry in Africa”; “Promoting Renewable Energies in Africa”; “Fostering Dialogue between Africa, the Maghreb Countries and Europe”; and “Issues of Education, Employability and Youth in Africa”.
In this context, Eric Besson, French Minister of Industry, Energy and Digital Economy stressed the need for African countries to have clear regulations and provide guarantees to promote public and private investment in the field of renewable energy and benefit optimally from their energy wealth.
For his part, Jean-Louis Borolo, former French Minister for Ecology, noted that the African continent is undergoing climate warming adverse consequences due to greenhouse gases, in addition to a huge energy production deficit.
During a session on the urgent necessity of improving the dialogue among Africa, North Africa and Europe, former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, said: "We cannot forget here Dakhla the urgent need for political dialogue after 40 years of painful conflict around the Sahara issue."
He added that this "is a forum to deepen the political process, pursue economic development and opening to the world with the help of the United Nations."
"In these times of instability and uncertainty, no one can afford even frozen conflicts," insisted De Villepin.
