Day: May 22, 2024

Bali – Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka, called, Wednesday in Bali (Indonesia), for greater international cooperation in water issues in order to develop the sector’s role in public policy.

“International cooperation in the water sector will play an important role in giving water the place it deserves in public policy”, he said at a ministerial meeting held part of the 10th World Water Forum, currently held in Bali.

Morocco is willing to share its experience in this field with all countries, said the minister, recalling that the water policy implemented by Morocco witnesssed a decisive turn under the guidance of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.

This policy has been implemented through the diversification of water supply development to conventional and non-conventional water mobilization projects, in addition to water demand management as well as communication and awareness-raising campaigns on water saving.

“The Kingdom, which has suffered six consecutive years of drought since 2018, managed to
overcome drought cycles thanks to its hydraulic infrastructures and its national water policy in line with the vision of the late HM Hassan II, consolidated and reinvigorated by HM King Mohammed VI,” he added.

The Moroccan Minister also stressed that, under the impetus of His Majesty the King, Morocco implemented a roadmap that has made it possible, in particular, to improve the efficiency of drinking water distribution and irrigation networks and to set up rainwater collection systems and seawater desalination plants in order to achieve a target of 1.7 billion m3 by 2030.

Source: Agence Marocaine De Presse

Bali – Morocco and Côte d’Ivoire signed, Wednesday in Bali, a cooperation agreement in the field of water resources, on the sidelines of the 10th World Water Forum.

Initialled and signed by Equipment and Water minister, Nizar Baraka, and Water and Forests Minister of Côte d’Ivoire, Laurent Tchagba, the agreement aims to strengthen institutional and technical cooperation between the two countries in the field of integrated water resource management.

It particulary covers water legislation, the development of awareness-raising initiatives for the rationalization and protection of water resources and the integrated management of national and transborder water resources.

The document also covers water transfer technology, groundwater management and water resource governance, including the creation of national and regional basin organizations.

On this occasion, Baraka welcomed the signing of the agreement, which testifies to the close relations between the two countries.

“Morocco is ready to support Côte d’Iv
oire in the management of water resources, particularly with regard to the establishment of basin agencies,” he said.

For his part, Tchagba noted that the signing of the agreement follows a preparatory process begun last year in Fez during the 3rd International Conference on Water and Climate (July 6-7, 2023).

Côte d’Ivoire, which adopted a water law last November, is counting on the Moroccan experience to ensure better management of its water resources, he added.

Organized jointly by the World Water Council and the Indonesian government, the 10th World Water Forum is attended by some 30,000 participants from 172 countries.

Source: Agence Marocaine De Presse

Dakhla – Morocco’s Central Bank Governor Abdellatif Jouahri stressed, Wednesday in Dakhla, the importance of an inclusive economic integration for Africa to achieve the expected prosperity.

This economic integration should be mutually beneficial and should not be to the detriment of the most vulnerable countries and populations, said Jouahri at the opening of the 5th ‘International Microeconomic and Finance Days’ (JIMF), which runs until May 24 in Dakhla, under the theme ‘Economic integration in Africa: The path to a more prosperous future’.

The Bank Al-Maghrib governor added that African countries are well aware of the benefits of integration, noting that numerous initiatives have been launched in this direction, leading notably to the creation of Regional Economic Communities.

He recalled the launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), noting that this agreement represents a glimmer of hope in terms of its potential spin-offs. Indeed, the various assessments of its impact, while largely a
pproximate, point to substantial gains.

Jouahri also pointed out that simulations carried out by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) indicate that the establishment of this area, if backed by trade-facilitating reforms, could increase Africa’s median trade with the rest of the world by 15%, and with African countries by 53%, which would contribute to an increase in median GDP per capita of over 10%.

Source: Agence Marocaine De Presse

Dakhla – Ambassadors from several African countries hailed, Wednesday in Dakhla, the ‘credibility’ and ‘boldness’ of HM King Mohammed VI’s initiative to promote access to the Atlantic Ocean for Sahel countries.

‘Despite the security challenges facing Sahel countries, Morocco, through the Royal Initiative, strives to make the Atlantic coast a large-scale economic integration center,’ they stated during a panel on ‘The Atlantic Initiative and economic integration’, organized as part of the 5th edition of the ‘International Days of Macroeconomics and Finance’ (JIMF).

The Ambassadors also unanimously stressed that poverty is at the root of many of the problems hampering the development of Sahel countries, hence the importance of this Initiative, which will undoubtedly boost the development of the African economy.

Speaking on this occasion, Niger’s Ambassador to Morocco, Salissou Ada, said that the Royal Atlantic Initiative would facilitate the mobility of people and goods, and support the economy of Sahel coun
tries, connecting them to the global economy, notably through the port of Dakhla Atlantique.

The Nigerien diplomat also emphasized the deep ties that bind Morocco to its African roots, pointing out that the Royal Initiative is part of a major project aimed at strengthening Morocco’s anchorage in its African environment and creating an area of progress, peace, solidarity and shared prosperity.

For his part, Ambassador, Director General of the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI), Mohamed Methqal, said that HM King Mohammed VI made South-South cooperation the main pillar of the Kingdom’s foreign policy, by putting Africa at the center of its priorities.

This Royal commitment towards Africa, he added, is reflected in the structuring projects launched across the continent and the thousands of agreements signed since 1999.

Methqal also emphasized the special attention Morocco pays to human development in Africa, placing the human element at the center of all its actions, projects and programs.

F
or his part, Ambassador of the Republic of Burkina Faso to Morocco, Mamadou Coulibaly, stated that the Royal Initiative for the Atlantic will turn the Atlantic seaboard into a high-place of human communion, a hub of economic integration and a center of continental and international influence, noting that through this Initiative, Morocco would enable the Sahel states to access the resources and means for a developed and united Africa.

In this respect, he noted that the Afro-Atlantic and Sahel area represents ‘46% of the African population, 55% of gross domestic product (GDP) and 57% of continental trade,’ adding that the Initiative aims to federate efforts around a common vision to take full advantage of the potential of Sahel countries.

For his part, Chad’s Ambassador to Morocco, Hassan Adoum Bakhit Haggar, said that this ‘joint action proposed by Morocco is an ideal opportunity to further strengthen our sphere of economic cooperation,’ while simultaneously praising the Kingdom’s efforts to make its port, r
oad and maritime infrastructures available to Sahel countries in order to make a success of this promising project.

In this vein, he expressed his determination, like other member countries of the Initiative, to support Morocco in mobilizing resources and financing the various infrastructure projects needed to implement this ambitious Initiative.

Also taking part in the panel were Mali’s Ambassador to Morocco, Fafre Camara, and the President of the Economic, Social, Environmental and Cultural Council of the Republic of Mali, Yacouba Katilé.

Source: Agence Marocaine De Presse