Environmental preservation cornerstone of African co-emergence: Moroccan king

RABAT, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Morocco's King Mohammed VI said Sunday that environmental preservation is the cornerstone of African co-emergence, the Moroccan official MAP news agency reported.

"It is the bedrock on which the continent's inclusive economic growth will be built," the Moroccan king said at the first summit of the Congo Basin climate commission and the Congo Basin Blue Fund held in the Congolese capital Brazzaville.

He urged the African nations to work together to tackle the issue of global warming, and transform their economies to promote sustainable development.

"The ecological challenge should no longer be seen as a threat, but as an opportunity," he said.

He voiced the kingdom's support for the Congo Basin Blue Fund, saying it is centered on integrated, inclusive, solidarity-based programs offered by the new blue and green economies.

He highlighted that financing remains the main challenge facing the implementation of the project, calling for more innovative mechanisms and efforts on it.

The Congo Basin is the world's second most important region for global carbon storage and the second largest river basin, which is home to more than half of the continent's animal species. Enditem