South Africa’s acceptance for Morocco to upgrade its level of representation in Pretoria recently signals the strengthening of diplomatic relations between the two countries, a senior official has said.

Mohamed Methqal, Ambassador Director General of Morocco International Cooperation Agency was speaking on the sidelines of the 8th Students and Youth Summit held in Rabat.

Methqal said Morocco’s King Mohammed VI wants the country’s foreign policy and contributions for a sustainable emerging Africa.

“His Majesty King Mohammed VI is very much involved in the emergence (of) Africa,” he added.

“The King has made 52 royal visits in the last two decades to more than 30 African countries. Each time he goes, he does not spend a day or two, but he spends weeks and months on a yearly basis to strengthen those relations.”

AMCI, he added, aims to support development projects in sub-Saharan Africa. The AMCI gives priority to income-generating projects having a direct impact on the socioeconomic development.

The agency is also the official channel of the Kingdom of Morocco in the registration of foreign students in Public Higher Education institutions in the country.

It registered 14 000 foreign students from 111 countries during the 2019/2020 academic year with 11 000 of those studying on scholarships funded by the host government. 12 000 of those are from 47 African countries.