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Michaël Tanchum FOKUS | 8/2020 Morocco‘s Africa-to-Europe Commercial Corridor: Gatekeeper of an emerging trans-regional strategic architecture Morocco’s West-Africa-to-Western-Europe framework of this emerging trans-regional emerging West-Africa-to-Western-Europe commercial transportation corridor is commercial architecture for years to come. commercial corridor. The November 15, redefining the geopolitical parameters of 2018 inauguration of the first segment of the global scramble for Africa and, with Morocco’s Construction of an Africa-to- the landmark high-speed line was presi- it, the strategic architecture of the Medi- Europe Corridor ded over by King Mohammed VI himself, in terranean basin. By massively expanding conjunction with French President Emma- the port capacity on its Mediterranean Situated in the northwest corner of Africa, nuel Macron.2 Seven years in construction, coast, Morocco has surpassed Spain and is fronting the Atlantic Ocean on its western the $2.3 billion line was built as a joint poised to become the dominant maritime coast and the Mediterranean Sea on its venture between France’s national railway hub in the western Mediterranean. Having northern coast, the Kingdom of Morocco company Société Nationale des Chemins constructed Africa’s first high-speed rail line, historically has been a geographical pivot de Fer Français (SNCF) and its Moroccan Morocco’s extension of the line to the Mau- for interchange between Europe, Africa, state counterpart Office National des Che- ritanian border, will transform Morocco into and the Middle East. In recent years, the mins de Fer (ONCF). Outfitted with Avelia the preeminent connectivity node in the semi-constitutional monarchy has adroitly Euroduplex high-speed trains produced nexus of commercial routes that connect combined the soft power resources of by French manufacturer Alstom, the initial West Africa to Europe and the Middle East.
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