Following a two-day summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, comprised of 21 economies including Russia, China, the US, and Australia, differences over the wars in Ukraine and Gaza were evident. Despite pledging support for World Trade Organization reform in their joint communique, the leaders did not address either conflict directly. The accompanying chair’s statement acknowledged discussions on the ongoing crisis in Gaza.

The spotlight of the APEC summit was the Wednesday meeting between US President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping, aimed at easing tensions between the world’s two largest economies. APEC, known for its trade focus, encompasses diverse nations, from Muslim-majority Indonesia to the US, Israel’s key ally.

While Biden emphasized the robust US economy and Pacific ties, his push for greater regional cooperation faced challenges, particularly concerning trade and his efforts to enhance workers’ rights.

Kristalina Georgieva, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), emphasized the significance of the Biden-Xi meeting, highlighting it as a crucial signal for increased global cooperation. She sees it as a positive indication for collaboration on pressing global challenges, with a particular emphasis on addressing issues like climate change.

The post APEC Summit: Unity on WTO Reform, Differences on Gaza and Ukraine appeared first on Morocco Telegraph.

Following the announcement of an agreement between Democrats and Republicans, the U.S. President signed the National Defense Authorization Act. As long as there are no limitations on joint military exercises, this law is reassuring for Morocco.

Joe Biden has signed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 into law, according to a Dec. 23 White House statement.

The new U.S. defense budget passed this year without any unpleasant surprises for Morocco as a result of a bipartisan deal between Republicans and Democrats. Unlike the previous year, when the pro-Polisario lobby was successful in introducing an amendment constricting the funding of joint exercises to the resumption of the dialogue process with the so-called Polisario, the legislation made no mention of it despite pressure from Republican Senator James Inhofe, a committed supporter of the Polisario. It is important to remember that the notwithstanding clause was activated by the State Department, which made this amendment useless.

The U.S. Army, whose former Commander of AFRICOM, General Stephen Townsend, praised the Kingdom’s ability to host, advised against James Inhofe’s (who is retiring) attempt in vain to have Morocco removed from the African Lion exercise.

The largest exercise in Africa will be held in Morocco, which will serve as the principal host, along with other nations including Senegal, Tunisia, and Ghana, as was the case the previous year.

It should be remembered that, according to information “L’Opinion” had gathered from the U.S. Defense Attaché in Morocco, Morocco and the United States conduct approximately 100 joint exercises each year.

The post U.S. Defense Budget: Biden Rejects Inhofe’s Demands and Signs Legislation in Favor of Morocco appeared first on Morocco Telegraph.

U.S. President Joe Biden is hosting a summit with Africa this week to revitalize relations with the continent in the face of competition from China and Russia.

The three-day summit in Washington will provide an opportunity to announce new investments, discuss food security and climate change, as well as democracy and governance.

Above all, to show that the US is still interested in Africa, eight years after the first such summit in 2014 under President Barack Obama.

Former President Donald Trump has made no secret of his disdain for the African continent, whereas Joe Biden, a champion of multilateralism, intends to re-establish Africa at the center of global diplomacy.

He supports the idea of Africa having a seat on the United Nations Security Council. According to a presidential aide, the African Union will be formally represented at the G20 summit and the Security Council.

“This decade will be decisive,” said Judd Devermont, the National Security Council and Senior Director for African Affairs, adding that the Biden current government “firmly believes that Africa will have a decisive voice.”

The summit follows the announcement of a new “Africa” strategy last summer, which announced an overhaul of US policy in Sub-Saharan Africa to counter the Chinese and Russian presence there.

China is the world’s largest creditor to poor and developing countries, and it is investing heavily in Africa’s resource-rich continent.

Similarly, Russia has increased its presence there, including by sending mercenaries, and maintains close ties with some capitals, including those that decided not to vote for a United Nations resolution condemning the invasion of Ukraine, a major point of contention with the US, in early March.

During a summer tour of Africa, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for a “true partnership” with Africa

The post Biden focuses on Africa despite Chinese and Russian growth efforts appeared first on Morocco Telegraph.

Qatar joins the list of key allies outside NATO as the 18th country. Three African countries, including two Maghreb countries.
This attribute is “a powerful sign of the close relationship between the United States and the nations that it receives and reflects our deep esteem for friendship with them,” according to the US Department of State.
This classification, as per France Press, provides States with a number of defensive and economic benefits, but it does not guarantee them access to US military protection, as it does for other NATO member states.
While it “provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation…,” According to the Ministry, “military and economic concessions are offered, but there are no security requirements for the specific country.”
States’ eligibility for defense loan programs, priority delivery for certain military sales, receipt of excess defense materials, and hosting of US-owned reserve war stocks were among the benefits cited by the State Department.

The post Qatar designated as a major non-NATO ally appeared first on Morocco Telegraph.

Former and current political and elected leaders from several countries sent a letter to US President Joe Biden to support the decision of the United States of America to recognize the full and complete sovereignty of Morocco over Sahara, stressing that the Moroccan initiative for autonomy represents the “only solution to Sahara dispute.”

The signatories to the letter, published in a tweet by the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and former Ambassador to the United States and Israel, Mr. Giulio Terzi, wrote, “Mr. President, we, former heads of government, former ministers, elected officials members of Parliament, are honored to express our satisfaction with regards to the United States’ sovereign decision to recognize the full sovereignty of Morocco on the Sahara Provinces.”

This letter has managed to gather 250 signatories in a short period of time, from 25 countries from all over the world. This includes concerns Italy, Argentina, Armenia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, the Czech Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Ireland, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucy, Serbia and Spain, as well as members of the European Parliament and mayors of major cities and municipalities from all over the world.

Among signatories of this letter are former President of the Czech Republic Vaclav Klaus, former President of the Republic of Guatemala Jimmy Morales, former Bulgarian Prime Minister Georgy Bliznachki, member of the MINURSO Stephan Todorov Davidov, in addition to many MPs and senators who are still in office.

The signatories emphasized, “We welcome the United States’ decision to recognize the autonomy initiative as the sole basis for a solution to the regional dispute over the Sahara,” expressing their conviction that the United States, under the presidency of Joe Biden, will continue to push the Saharan matter towards a just and lasting solution thanks to its continuous support for Moroccan Initiative for Autonomy.

Lastly, the signatories expressed their satisfaction with the United States joining 20 other countries that decided to open consular representations in Sahara, in the cities of Laayoune and Dakhla, a move which constitutes not only a recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the region, but also a recognition of the latter’s role as a historical link between Europe and Africa and as a regional economic pole, offering many opportunities to investors from all over the world, as well as other future prospects for the benefit of African youth.

The post World Prominent Figures Support US Recognition of Morocco’s Sovereignty over Sahara appeared first on Morocco Telegraph.

It has exactly been 11 days since Joe Biden has been sworn in as the 46^th president of the United States after an almost never-ending election.  It’s obviously too soon to wonder what the new president has done for the African continent so far. We indeed previously hoped for a better cooperation between US and Africa and we are looking forward to seeing some of the claims being materialized by the new administration. Even though he has been in office in less than a month, Joe Biden has already taken key actions that indicate he will renew the links and restore hope and mutual understanding between both parties.

An executive order reversing the Travel ban:

The first actions of the new president in office have really been something rather simple – and roughly of a “Ctrl+Z” type. As a matter of fact, Joe Biden has already taken 30 executive actions in the first three days following the inauguration. He signed more than half (17) of the orders on his first day in office, 11 on the second and 2 on the third one. Also, 10 of the decrees reversed some of Trump’s policies including the most controversial ones: The United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization, the state’s withdrawal from the Paris climate accord, the Trump wall and of course the Travel ban. The latter is the first action pointed towards Africa – though not directly. Among the 13 countries affected mostly by the Travel, six were of African continent (Eritrea, Libya, Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania) which is half of the countries on the list. This reversal is a hint indeed that things are on their way to the age of cooperation and mutual respect.

The president has also signed an order dealing with the fight against racism in public institutions. It orders the various federal agencies to assess inequalities in their policies and programs. Adding to the previous decrees, Joe Biden has also announced a bill that will offer young people arrived illegally in the country before their maturity – the “dreamers” – and other people in an irregular situation the possibility of being naturalized.

An African nominated to lead the MCC:

One of the key actions Joe Biden has already taken including Africa has been the appointment of an African as interim leader of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC): the American-Guinean Mahmoud Bah. Established in 2004, MCC is an independent agency of the US government that provides grants and economic assistance to selected countries. Present in around twenty African states (including Morocco), the MCC claims an “innovative” approach to official development assistance. Mahmoud Bah has held various positions within the MCC for over ten years. He notably worked for three years in Ivory Coast as country director; after being appointed Interim Vice President for Administration and Finance, and Chief Financial Officer.

Another notable thing to keep in mind is that Donald Trump’s administration was known for its refusal to genuinely engage in Africa and by its clear disinterest in the continent (a policy that effectively reflects the former president’s behaviour regarding Africa). The arrival of Joe Biden at the White House and these first decisions point to a return of the United States to multilateralism and a more pacific relations with some African countries.

The post What has Joe Biden already Done for Africa? appeared first on Morocco Telegraph.

Credible sources within the Democratic Party in Washington have told the Israeli daily Hebrew newspaper “Maariv” that US President-elect Joe Biden has warmly welcomed Morocco’s decision to normalize ties with Israel and the US recognition of the Moroccan Sahara as part of Morocco’s sovereignty over its territories.

Sources from Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper have backed up the news confirming that the new Biden Administration considers Morocco as an essential ally which the US relies on as a pivotal country in North Africa.

The same sources have dismissed any changes of Washington’s stand on the issue of Moroccan Sahara recognition; thus, the Biden administration will follow Trump’s steps in working forward to establish the Abraham Accords for peace in the middle east and defend Morocco’s sovereignty over its Sahara.

The post Joe Biden “warmly welcomes” US Recognition of Moroccan Sahara appeared first on Morocco Telegraph.

On Thursday, The U.S. congress approved Joe Biden’s victory by more than 270 votes, the requirement to win presidency; after a night of congress invasion by Trump followers, resulting in police intervention.

Polls ended with Biden leading with 306 votes over Trump who got 232 votes.

In the states where legislators vetoed Trump’s victory, the House of Representatives rejected an objection, made by a republican senator from Pennsylvania, to the votes results (92-7); waiting for the votes of the senate.

In Arizona, the congress put away a 93-6 objection from a republican senator, while the senate rejected it by a 303-121 victory.

Thus, Joe Biden is officially the new US president. However, different world leader have expressed their concern and condemned the acts of terror, vandalism and riot witnessed by the Capitol.

America has witnessed a shocking night that resulted in the death of four Americans. Trump called off his followers in a recorded video asking them to make peace implying that they all know what happened referring to the rigged elections.

The post After a Violent Night… Congress Endorses Joe Biden’s Victory in U.S. Presidencies appeared first on Morocco Telegraph.

Joe Biden, the “elected president” of the United States is two months away from his arrival at the White House. Eight weeks to build the team that will surround him at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington. If the team that is revealed day after day is more feminine and mixed than in the Trump administration, Joe Biden has above all, and not surprisingly, entrusted key positions to his faithful.

The positions allocated…

After having appointed Ron Klain to the strategic position of “Chief of staff”, Biden selected Jen O’Malley Dillon, 44, to assist Klain as his assistant. The former campaign manager is finally joining the White House after making it known for a long time that she has no plans to work in the administration if Biden wins the election. A former deputy campaign manager for President Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign, she led the campaign of former MP Beto O’Rourke in the 2020 Democratic primaries, before taking the reins of Biden’s campaign at the approach of the general election.

Among the “main advisers” of the future president, we note the arrival of Cedric Richmond, also director of the Office of Public Engagement of the White House. Richmond, national co-chair of Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, will focus on raising awareness among Democratic organizations, public interest groups and advocacy groups. He is a figure of the Democratic Party and of the “black caucus” in Congress. He is also expected to liaise with business and climate change activists according to observers. Less surprisingly, Joe Biden’s close friend, Mike Donilon, will also join the White House as the president’s senior advisor. He is the originator of much of the campaign messages and had been Biden’s advisor when he was vice president.

Another figure in the making of the team is Julie Chavez Rodríguez who will occupy the very political post of director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs of the White House. Julie Rodríguez, 41, joined Biden’s campaign as a senior adviser after holding a high-profile post during Kamala Harris’s campaign for the Democratic primary. She was one of Harris’ first recruits after Harris won her seat in the California Senate in 2016. Granddaughter of civil rights leader César Chávez, Rodríguez is close to Barack Obama. She previously served as deputy director of political engagement at the White House.

Dana Remus becomes advisor to the president. She served as legal counsel for the Biden campaign. Separately, Remus’ experience as clerk to Supreme Court Tory Judge Samuel Alito could prove invaluable to the Biden administration as it braces for repeated clashes with the Tory Supreme Court majority in coming years. Another Biden confidant, Steve Ricchetti, who was vying for the post of chief of staff, also becomes an adviser. His past career as a lobbyist for health insurance, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies in the 1990s and early 2000s, however, raises concerns among the most liberal of the Democratic camp.

Julie Annie Tomasini, in the Biden team since 2008, will be the Director of Operations for the Oval Office. Finally, Julissa Reynoso Pantaleon is named as “chief of staff” of the wife of “Sleepy Joe”, whom he often defines as his main advisor, “Dr. Jill Biden”.

… and the names that circulate

One of the positions that arouse the most public interest is that of “press secretary”, in other words spokesperson for the White House. Several names are being considered: Karine Jean-Pierre, francophone born in Martinique, senior campaign advisor to Joe Biden who later served as Kamala Harris’ chief of staff, and Symone Sanders, senior campaign advisor, are competing for the face of the White House in front of the press. Kate Bedingfield, deputy director of the Biden-Harris campaign and director of communications, is being considered to become the all-powerful communications director of “The West Wing”.

As for the “cabinet”, the future government, things will logically be formalized later. But the name of Susan Rice, the American ambassador to the UN during the Obama mandates, comes up very often for the post of secretary of state. She was among the first to congratulate Joe Biden on the formalization of his victory by the American media. On CNN, however, she refused to discuss her future.

The post A female administration .. Joe Biden Makes The Difference appeared first on Morocco Telegraph.

The US Senate is on track to remain Republican. The party of outgoing President Donald Trump retained an additional seat on Wednesday in the upper house of Congress, with a victory in Alaska, which puts it in a majority vote.

GOP Incumbent Dan Sullivan was easily re-elected, with more than 57% of the vote, according to projections by CNN and NBC television channels. His victory confirms the good performance of the Republican Party in the Congressional elections, which were held on November 3 at the same time as the presidential election which saw the victory of Democrat Joe Biden.

Two seats are still to be filled which will be played in a double by-election on January 5 in the conservative state of Georgia and the Republicans now have 50 seats, against 48 for the Democrats in this chamber of 100.

So the Democrats would have to win those two seats to catch up with the Republicans and give Joe Biden more leeway to implement his policies because it would then be the voice of Vice-President Kamala Harris who would decide the votes in the event of a 50-50 tie.

No law can be passed in the United States without the upper house, which also has the power to approve the president’s appointments: his ministers, ambassadors, and judges, including members of the Supreme Court. If the Senate remained Republican, Joe Biden, who sat there for 36 years, would have to use his talents for dialogue and negotiation. The president-elect said he was convinced on Tuesday he could bring together a sufficient number of parliamentarians from the other side.

The post US: Republicans add Another Seat in US Senate appeared first on Morocco Telegraph.