April brought two milestones: the first presentation of the INTERREG MAC projects ever held in The Gambia, and the visit of the Moroccan region of Souss-Massa to Casa África.
The Gambia takes its place in Atlantic cooperation
On 22 April, the director general for Relations with Africa of the Canary Islands Government, Luis Padilla, chaired the first presentation session for the INTERREG MAC projects held in The Gambia, at the African Princess Beach Hotel in Banjul. It was the first time the Atlantic cooperation area had been presented in the country, which joined the programme in the 2021-2027 period alongside Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and São Tomé and Príncipe.
Those attending included Raphaël Brigandi, deputy head of mission at the EU Delegation in The Gambia; Violeta Insa, chargée d’affaires at the Spanish Embassy in Banjul; and the regional directors for European Affairs of the Azores and Madeira. Alongside Canary Islands bodies such as the ITC, Casa África, the ULPGC, the ITER, GESPLAN and the Canary Islands Health Service, the session brought in Gambian ministries, the Chamber of Commerce, the University of The Gambia, Jokkolabs Banjul and the Gambia Tourism Board.
There are eight INTERREG MAC projects under way with Gambian partners, all of them led by Canary Islands organisations, plus the strategic project ATLANTE and one on climate resilience. IBC Spain coordinated the event on behalf of the Directorate General for Relations with Africa. The full breakdown is in the project profile: Presentation event for the projects approved with The Gambia under the INTERREG MAC programme.
Souss-Massa, southern Morocco, at Casa África
On 27 April we attended the business and institutional sessions held at Casa África by the delegation from Souss-Massa, the Moroccan region whose capital is Agadir. Its geographical proximity, its agri-food, fishing and tourism base and its commitment to renewables and port logistics make it a natural partner along the Canary Islands-Morocco-West Africa axis.
This piece is drawn from Conexión África, IBC Spain’s monthly newsletter. You can read the full edition #8 on LinkedIn or subscribe to the newsletter, which comes out once a month.