The Royal Speech addressed to the Nation recalls that the glorious Green March, a peaceful action which led to the recovery of the southern Moroccan provinces and to the completion of the territorial integrity of Morocco, is a unique example of mobilization, of commitment, discipline and attachment to the good rights of the Moroccan people, who responded spontaneously to the call of the architect of the Green March, the late His Majesty King Hassan II.
In this regard, His Majesty King Mohammed VI underlined that the Green March embodies, at several levels, a dynamic whose spirit is perpetuated and renewed through the action carried out to consolidate the Moroccan character of the Sahara on the international scene and to build the Sahara as a driving force for regional and continental development:
• At the level of the United Nations: the outdated and unrealistic approaches and theses were definitively annihilated, during the adoption of the last resolutions of the Security Council, which confirmed the effective participation of the real parties concerned by this regional conflict and enshrined the irreversibility of the political, realistic and consensual solution. An orientation that accords with the spirit of the Moroccan Autonomy Initiative, supported by the Security Council and the great powers as the only logical option to resolve this conflict.
• At the level of the African Union: the return of Morocco to its African family has enabled the Organization to successfully close the chapter of the incessant maneuvers of which it has been a victim for years and to adopt a constructive stance, structured around full support for the efforts deployed, under an exclusive mandate by the United Nations, its Secretary-General and the Security Council.
• At the legal and diplomatic level: a number of sister nations have opened Consulates general in the cities of Laâyoune and Dakhla, thereby explicitly and unequivocally recognizing the Moroccanness of the Sahara. They are, thus, attesting to the security, stability and prosperity enjoyed by the inhabitants of our southern provinces. At the same time, 163 countries, representing 85% of the Member States of the United Nations, do not recognize the factitious entity and refuse, today to endorse the views peddled by the other parties, an orientation which has been reinforced by the conclusion of strategic and economic partnerships, including, without exception or reservation, the Southern Provinces of the Kingdom as an integral part of Moroccan territory.
” Based on these achievements, Morocco reaffirms its sincere commitment to cooperate with His Excellency the Secretary-General of the United Nations, within the framework of the relevant Security Council resolutions so as to achieve a final solution based on the Autonomy Initiative’,’ specified the Sovereign.
His Majesty King Mohammed VI has indicated that Morocco, true to itself, will not depart from the common sense and wisdom of which it is accustomed and that, on the other hand, it is with the utmost vigor and the greatest firmness that it will oppose abuses seeking to undermine the security and stability of its Southern Provinces and that the Kingdom will not allow itself to be weakened by the sterile provocations and desperate maneuvers of the other parties.
“Moreover, it is clear that the consummate decline of their outdated theses has precipitated them into the typical scenario of a headlong rush”. “On the other hand, we are convinced that the United Nations and Minurso will continue to fulfill their duty in ensuring that the ceasefire in the area is preserved,” said the Sovereign.
The second part of the Royal Speech was devoted to the development of the Sahrawi provinces of Morocco, so that they become an engine of regional and continental development.
” Also, in order to complete the major projects underway in our southern provinces, the time has come to highlight the many potentialities that their maritime domain conceals ” underlined His Majesty King Mohammed VI, recalling further, that the socio-economic development of the region will undoubtedly be consolidated and boosted through the clear definition of the framework and the borders of the maritime areas placed under the sovereignty of the Kingdom.
His Majesty King Mohammed VI has also indicated that the Kingdom will continue to work for the development of a true maritime economy in these territories, an area rich in resources and potential, on land and at sea, and which will thus serve of bridge and hyphen between Morocco and its African depth.
“The South Atlantic coast of the Kingdom, facing the Moroccan Sahara, will constitute a maritime interface of economic integration and a focal point of continental and international influence” underlined the Sovereign.
In this regard, His Majesty King Mohammed VI underlined the importance of investments in maritime areas, both for the desalination of seawater and for the exploitation of renewable energies of wind or tidal origin, as well as the continuous promotion for the benefit of the maritime fishing sector, taking into account its role in the development of the region’s economy.
Regarding the tourism sector, His Majesty the King called for a revitalization of the “Azur plan” in order to make it a strategic lever in the service of the revival of tourism in the region, as a true destination for seaside tourism.
His Majesty King Mohammed VI called on all Moroccans to remain mobilized and vigilant and committed to meeting internal and external challenges with seriousness and responsibility.
‘’We will thus be able to carry out the social and economic development projects of our country; We will continue to defend our interests and our just Causes and to strengthen Morocco’s place in its regional and international environment, “said the Sovereign.
His Majesty King Mohammed VI also paid tribute to the brave martyrs of the Fatherland and addressed the expression of his consideration to the Royal Armed Forces and to the security forces, all categories combined, for their constant mobilization to defend, under the command of the Sovereign, the territorial integrity of the country and to preserve its security and stability.