Berlin Summit – Morocco’s Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch, Holds Talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Strengthening Bilateral Cooperation.

Morocco’s Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch, engaged in discussions with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin. The meeting, attended by Minister of Economy and Finance Nadia Fettah and HM the King’s Ambassador to Germany Zohour Alaoui, provided a platform to exchange views on shared interests and explore avenues for economic and commercial partnerships.

Both parties expressed satisfaction with the robust partnership between the two countries and addressed current and future challenges. The talks took place ahead of the Head of Government’s participation in the G20 “Compact with Africa” initiative, underscoring the significance of international collaboration.

Read Also: Morocco’s Ambassador Meets AU Commission Chair in Addis Ababa

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Tetouan – His Majesty King Mohammed VI addressed, on the occasion of the 24th anniversary of His accession to the Throne of His glorious ancestors, a “strong speech, bringing great changes”, the Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch, said Sunday.

Akhannouch assured the press that the administration will uphold its duty to live up to HM the King’s expectations, noting that the Royal Speech placed particular stress on seriousness as a guideline and on quickening the speed of executing numerous policies.

In this regard, Akhannouch emphasized that the anniversary of HM the King’s coronation is a significant occasion for all Moroccans and a sign of the close relationship between the Throne and the People.

Read also: Morocco Has Strengthened Its Presence at Regional and International Levels Under HM the King’s Wise Leadership – Arab Parliament President

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During the second Russia-Africa Summit, Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch emphasized the Royal Vision in enhancing Africa’s relationships with its diverse partners.

The King’s representative at this international summit, Akhannouch, said during the opening planary session that the Sovereign “was the first to stress the need for a change of approach on the part of its traditional partners towards the African continent.”

In this regard, he noted that this approach had been stated on a number of occasions, most notably in the King’s statement at the 2014 Morocco-Côte d’Ivoire Economic Forum.

The Sovereign had emphasized in that message that mutually beneficial partnerships were what Africa really needed, not outside aid. More than humanitarian relief, Africa requires social and human development initiatives.

Akhannouch went on to reaffirm Morocco’s “permanent attachment” to its relationships with different strategic partners, stressing that the Kingdom has sought to diversify its strategic alliances under the wise leadership of the King.

Several African Heads of State and Government were present for the plenary session, and he stated that the status and future of the African continent had become a top priority for Morocco’s foreign policy in light of this royal vision.

He said that Africa justifiably strives to define its position and interests freely and sovereignly in its ties with the rest of the world and that this regal vision is a result of that. He added that Africa has great human and natural potential.

“Therefore, the countries of our continent have the right, in absolute independence, to determine the nature of the strategic alliances they wish to establish with the various international groups and actors, in a manner that takes into account their paramount interests.”

The Head of Government highlighted that, while Morocco and Russia have enjoyed outstanding diplomatic ties since the 18th century, those ties have grown significantly stronger after King Mohammed VI’s 2016 trip to Moscow.

“During this visit, a deep strategic partnership was established, covering a wide range of areas of cooperation, including agriculture, energy, fisheries, science and technology, culture, and higher education.”

The 2nd Russia-Africa Summit took place in Saint Petersburg on July 27 and 28, and Akhannouch expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to represent the King there. He noted that the event this year “reflects the Russian Federation’s determination to strengthen friendly relations and constructive cooperation with the participating African countries, to support their efforts to achieve comprehensive development, and to effectively address the various challenges they face.”

He pointed out that the world is experiencing instability, the increase of hostilities, and tensions in a number of regions at the time this summit is taking place.

The Head of Government described in this context the fundamental principles and tenets that support “Morocco’s position in the face of the current crises.”

The use of peaceful means to resolve disputes and refraining from using force are among them, in his opinion. He also cites respect for the territorial integrity of UN Member States, adherence to international legal norms, Security Council, and General Assembly resolutions.

The Kingdom of Morocco “believes in the need to intensify efforts and encourage international and regional cooperation” to meet the challenges of this crisis, remove barriers, and create a future that can ensure food and energy security for all countries on the continent, Akhannouch continued. “In this context, and in view of the challenges posed by the Ukrainian crisis to food and energy security, particularly on the African continent, the Kingdom of Morocco believes in the need to intensify efforts and encourage international and regional cooperation,” he said.

He added that Morocco was hoping the summit “will be able to strengthen these relations and launch innovative areas of cooperation capable of promoting development and consolidating the security and stability of our African continent, as well as opening up broader horizons for the future of African-Russian relations.”

To represent His Majesty King Mohammed VI at the second Russia-Africa Summit, Akhannouch landed in Saint Petersburg on Thursday.

Nasser Bourita, the minister of foreign affairs, African cooperation, and Moroccan expatriates, and Lotfi Bouchaara, the ambassador of Morocco to Russia, are also part of the Moroccan group that is attending the meeting.

Read also: African leaders condemn coup attempt against Niger’s president after his home is surrounded

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On June 21, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will travel to Morocco to meet with Aziz Akhannouch, the president of the Moroccan government, to address a range of issues, including migration, regional security, and multilateral cooperation.

The opportunity presented by this official visit will allow the two countries to expand their commercial connections and look for areas where they can work together to develop green hydrogen.

Rutte’s participation in a prospective business meeting aimed at promoting and encouraging green hydrogen collaboration is one of the focal elements of this upcoming visit, according to Energy News media.

The two countries will sign several agreements that are completely in line with Morocco’s objectives for its energy transition.

To emphasize the value of involving and empowering young in the search for sustainable solutions, Rutte will meet with students at the Moroccan Netherlands Institute of Rabat (NIMAR).

According to the same source, this visit fits well with the Dutch government’s energy diplomacy and its rising interest in importing hydrogen in the future.

Dutch and Moroccan ministers met earlier this year to talk about a variety of issues.

Political rapprochement between the two countries has been notable, particularly after the Netherlands declared in May 2022 that it supports Morocco’s autonomy movement.

Read Also: Morocco, “Perfect Place” for IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings

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Aziz Akhannouch, the President of the Moroccan government, and Alice Albright, the president of the Millennium Challenge Cooperation, presided over the Compact II program’s concluding ceremony.

The event featured a variety of interventions, testimonials, and experiences where people shared their stories and the program’s accomplishments were praised.

The Moroccan Minister of Industry and Trade Ryad Mezzour, the Moroccan Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment, and Skills Younes Sekkouri, the Director General of the Millennium Challenge Account-Morocco Agency (MCA-Morocco), Malika Laasri, and the Resident Director of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) in Morocco, Carrie Monahan, were all in attendance at the event.

Akhannouch took the podium for the opening remarks, using the occasion to highlight the program’s accomplishments and express gratitude to everyone who helped make it successful as well as King Mohamed IV.

He was in charge of this program’s initial implementation and is currently monitoring its updates and outcomes.

The head of government said, “This is a successful initiative, and it should continue to ensure future success.

Albright viewed the occasion as a historic one and remembered the late former MCC director’s accomplishments, which will endure.

Albright added, “If she were here, she’d be happy to remember this.

The largest investment MCC has ever made was more than one billion US dollars in Morocco.

The program aims to enhance the standard of instruction and the working environment, impart the key abilities needed to succeed in the labor market, and produce experiences that can change a person’s life.

Beneficiaries of the program from all backgrounds and industries all concurred that Compact II improved their quality of life.

A young female student who called herself physical proof of the program’s success opened the moving testimonies by attesting to the improvement and inclusion of infrastructures at her high school following the program’s engagement.

A school’s principal emphasized how Compact II helped transform his institution into a place that attracts students with modern technology and efficient teaching strategies.

A representative of the businesses taking part in the initiative described how the group of beneficiaries now rationalizes spending, achieves better goals, and fosters creativity.

Imane Jeddadi, a business administration trainee, claimed that the program has significantly enhanced teaching techniques in terms of providing a range of material and fostering critical thinking abilities.

As part of the Compact II cooperation program, which had previously been agreed upon by the governments of Morocco and the US, represented by MCC, the first edition of an unprecedented female leadership program titled “Women’s Direction” was launched in January by MCC and MCA along with the Ministry of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment, and Skills.

Read Also: 6.1 billion dirham road map aims to make tourism a vital part of the Moroccan economy

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The signing of an agreement to begin the country’s strategic roadmap for the tourism sector from 2023 to 2026 took place in Rabat on Friday under the auspices of the head of state, Aziz Akhannouch.

With the ambitious objective of producing 120 billion in foreign exchange revenues, 200,000 new employment, and luring 17.5 million tourists by 2026, this project seeks to establish tourism as a key actor in the national economy.

The strategy, which has a 6.1 billion dirham dedicated budget over four years, aims to modernize the industry by introducing fresh, customer-focused experiences and by creating nine thematic sectors and five cross-functional ones.

Despite the difficult global economy, Morocco’s tourism sector had a strong year in 2022, bringing in almost 11 million tourists, or 84% more than in 2019, outpacing the global average of 63%.

In comparison to 2019, the industry also succeeded in recovering 116% more foreign currency travel receipts. During the crisis, the government’s emergency plan of 2 billion dirhams assisted tourism professionals and kept jobs.

The National Interministerial Commission for Tourism, chaired by the head of state and made up of the signatories, two national commissions, an airline commission, a “Supply/Demand” product commission, and twelve regional plan monitoring commissions headed by the governors of each region have all been established by the government to ensure the success of the ambitious roadmap.

The agreement was signed by Abdelouafi Laftit, Minister of the Interior, Fatima Zahra Amour, Minister of Tourism, Handicrafts and Social and Solidarity Economy, Mohamed Abdel Jalil, Minister of Transport and Logistics, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaïd, Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, and Faouzi Lakjaa, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Economy and Finance, in charge of the budget, in addition to Hamid Ben Taher, President of the National Confederation of Tourism.

Read Also: The Ministry of Communication delegation reacted to an Algerian maneuver to ruin a recommendation for Morocco to host the Arab Information Ministers’ meetings.

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The Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch, held on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, in Rabat, talks with Angel Victor Torres, President of the Canary Islands Government, who is on a working visit to Morocco, in which the Spanish ambassador in Rabat, Ricardo Diez-Hochleitner, took part.

This visit is part of the continuation of the positive dynamics initiated by the holding, last February, of the 12th session of the Moroccan-Spanish High-Level Meeting, co-chaired by Mr. Akhannouch and his counterpart Perdo Sanchez.

The visit also paves the way for Spain’s regional governments to endorse the positive position of the central government in Madrid towards the national issue, which underlines the relevance of the autonomy plan as the most serious, realistic and credible basis for the settlement of the phony dispute over the Moroccan Sahara.

The Head of Government welcomed on this occasion the solidity of relations between Morocco and the Canary Islands, stressing that the historical links and geographical proximity between the two parties, open promising prospects for the economic partnership.

The Head of Government has also praised the Canary Islands companies established in Morocco, which are taking advantage of the considerable opportunities offered by Morocco in the tourism and renewable energy sectors, pointing out that this economic partnership could be strengthened in the maritime industry, in the desalination of seawater and tourism promotion.

During this meeting, the two parties emphasized the quality of the coordination between Morocco and Spain on the issue of immigration and the fight against human trafficking networks and reviewed the means of strengthening the partnership and cooperation between the Canary Islands and the different regions of Morocco.

Read Also: Canary Islands PM to visit Morocco, as demarcation of maritime borders drags on

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Addis Ababa – The Heads of State and Government of the 54 member countries of the African Union (AU) began, Saturday in Addis Ababa, the proceedings of the 36th ordinary session of the pan-African organization’s summit with the participation of Morocco.

At this 36th AU Summit of Heads of State and Government, the Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch, represents HM King Mohammed VI.

تشرفت بتمثيل صاحب الجلالة الملك محمد السادس، نصره الله، في أشغال الدورة الــ 36 لقمة الاتحاد الإفريقي، التي انطلقت اليوم السبت بأديس أبابا، تحت شعار "تسريع مسلسل تنفيذ منطقة التبادل الحر القارية الافريقية". pic.twitter.com/h0pim5K1aG

— رئيس الحكومة المغربية (@ChefGov_ma) February 18, 2023

Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates Nasser Bourita, Ambassador Permanent Representative of the Kingdom to the African Union and the UNECA Mohamed Arrouchi, and Ambassador Director General of the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI) Mohamed Methqal make up the Moroccan delegation attending this summit.

Read Also: AU: Under the leadership of HM the King, Morocco is determined to work to strengthen cooperation with African countries.

This 36th Summit, with the theme “The Year of AfCFTA: Acceleration of the African Continental Free Trade Area Implementation,” will cover a variety of topics, including the institutional reform of the AU, the state of peace and security on the continent, the awarding of the Union a seat in the G20, the global food crisis, the AU response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the assessment of the first ten-year plan for the implementation of Agenda 2063, and issues specific to the

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Aziz Akhannouch, the head of government, met with William Ruto of Kenya on the sidelines of his attendance at the Dakar 2 Summit in Senegal. A successful meeting ended with a commitment to deepen “strategic ties” between the two nations.

Aziz Akhannouch, the head of the Moroccan government, and William Ruto, the president of Kenya, met in Dakar. “Deep economic ties exist between Kenya and the Kingdom of Morocco, especially in trade, agriculture, health, tourism, and energy. We are committed to advancing and solidifying our strategic alliances for the benefit of both nations ” Ruto wrote yesterday on Twitter.

William Ruto appears thrilled about the prospect of strengthening ties with Morocco and stepping up bilateral cooperation.

To recall, Aziz Akhannouch leads a strong Moroccan delegation taking part in the work of the Dakar 2 Summit on food sovereignty which opened Wednesday in Diamniadio, under the theme “Feeding Africa: food sovereignty and resilience

Read Also: President Macky Sall receives Mr. Aziz Akhannouch, carrying a message from HM the King

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Aziz Akhannouch, the head of state, presented Macky Sall, the president of the Republic of Senegal, with a letter from His Majesty King Mohammed VI on Wednesday in Diamniadio, 30 kilometers from Dakar.

The Dakar 2 Summit on food sovereignty, which began on Wednesday in Diamniadio with the theme “Feeding Africa: food sovereignty and resilience,” is being attended by a significant Moroccan delegation, which is being led by Mr. Akhannouch.

The Moroccan delegation also includes the Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka, the Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fishing, Rural Development and Water and Forests, Mohamed Saddiki, the Chairman and CEO of the OCP Group, Mustapha Terrab, the President of the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM) Chakib Alj, the Managing Director of the “Ithmar Capital” Fund, Obaid Amrane and the Ambassador of HM the King in Senegal, Hassan Naciri.

In order to address the growing problem of food security in Africa, the event, which takes place from January 25 to 27, aims to bring together governments, the private sector, multilateral organizations, NGOs, and scientists.

Read Also: OCP CEO: Africa Can Solve Global Food Security Issues

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