Celebration of 10 years of cooperation between Morocco and Togo  

The Secretary General of UCLG Africa, Mr. Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, took part in the symposium organized at the African Center for Training and Administrative Research for Development (CAFRAD) in Rabat on June 17 and 18, 2025, to celebrate 10 years of cooperation between Morocco and Togo on the theme: “Consolidating achievements to build the future together.” 

The opening session featured speeches by the following dignitaries: Mr. Coffi Dieudonné ASSOUVI, Director General of CAFRAD; Mr. Messan Amakoé KLUTSE, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Togo in Morocco; Mr. Hassan SAKHI, President of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Services of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region; Dr. José Kwassi SYMENOUH, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Togo; Ms. Latifa Elbouabdellaoui, Director General of the Islamic Centre for the Development of Trade; and a representative of the Moroccan government. 

All affirmed the quality of relations with Togo and welcomed the initiative to celebrate cooperation between Morocco and Togo. The potential for convergence offered by the Morocco-Togo partnership; Morocco bringing its openness to European countries to the partnership; Togo bringing its logistics platform to open Morocco up to the West African market, a market of 300 million inhabitants. This dynamic is helping to accelerate the creation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Morocco and Togo can build an exceptional partnership. 

Following the opening ceremony, an agreement was signed between the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Services of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra Region and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Togo.  

The symposium continued with four roundtable discussions:  

Round Table 1 on the theme “What directions for South-South integration policies: the cases of Togo and Morocco.”  

Round Table 2 on the theme “Science – Research – Technology – Digitalization: Scientific cooperation in the service of Research and Innovation.”  

Round Table 3 on the theme “Decentralized Cooperation: What kind of social and solidarity economy for the sustainable endogenous development of populations?” 

Round Table 4 on the theme “South-South cooperation in the field of health and pharmacy: What are the appropriate mechanisms in Togo and Morocco to strengthen health systems and develop, produce, and distribute essential medicines?” 

A forum for young entrepreneurs provided an opportunity to present three flagship projects 

⁃Guide Walk, development of a smart badge for the blind by a group of students from ENSAM  

⁃Meditervia: a web and mobile platform for territorial intelligence by a group of ENSAM students 

⁃Transformation of cassava into ethanol by a Togolese start-up, Mabil International Togo.