Morocco calls for new EU-Africa partnership

RABAT, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Morocco's King Mohammed VI has called for marking a shift in the EU-Africa partnership towards a new bicontinental pact, local media reported on Thursday.

In a message to the 5th African Union-European Union Summit that is held in Abidjan, the king said both Africa and Europe must rise, together, to their inevitable challenges through shared competitiveness, co-localization of productive businesses, regulated human mobility and fruitful cultural exchanges, the daily Le Matin said.

"Solidarity between Europe and Africa is neither a hollow concept nor some sort of association based on one-way philanthropy. It is built on shared responsibility and mutual dependence," he said.

On the issue of migration, the king, who is in charge of the Migration Issue at the African Union, called for change in the european policy in this area.

"It is not acceptable that the best African talents should be coveted by Europe and found on the benches of prestigious schools as much as in businesses on the continent, without regard for the investment made by the country of origin in terms of training," he said.

"The brain drain caused by this situation is appalling," he stressed.

The king also expressed his deep shock at the atrocious practices reported by the media and currently plaguing migrants in Libya. Enditem