US doubles Morocco military aid
Morocco, US More than ever Set on Fighting Terrorism, Powell
H.M King Mohammed VI Holds Talks with US Secretary of State
Al Alam: environment degradation endangers over 2,000 animal, vegetal species in Morocco
H.M King Mohammed VI Orders Drawing up Report on Human Development in Morocco in Last 50 Years
Over 1,200 Moroccans affected by AIDS, official figures
Morocco, US Start 6th Round of FTA Negotiations
Morocco, US to conclude free trade agreement
Fund lends Morocco 215 mln euros for water scheme
Morocco earmarks $1.4 mln for handicapped integration
Moroccan-Jewish community council raises funds to assist Palestinian hospitals
Belgian-backed water project launched in Morocco
International finance, business expo to be held in Morocco
'Costa Fortuna' cruise ship stops over in Casablanca
Reform of family law proves no incompatibility between Islam and democracy, ambassador
Islamic university of technology elect Morocco as president
Morocco cuts customs duties on soft wheat from 90 to 55% as of December 8th
Moroccan government adopts new audio-visual draft law
Powell to Encourage Democratization on North Africa Trip
US, France compete on interests in North Africa
Morocco poised to definitively shelve past human rights violations cases
Two major Moroccan banks merge
Morocco, Spain probe project of permanent link in Gibraltar strait
Casablanca holds its 5th international dance festival December 10-13
North African leaders urge a fight against poverty to curb terror
Morocco promises streamlined customs.
Cap royal from Morocco to Monaco via Gibraltar, Baleares sea

US doubles Morocco military aid

US Secretary of State Colin Powell has said the US is to double military aid to Morocco, on a visit to the kingdom. US economic aid will be boosted four-fold over the coming years - a reward for Morocco's support in the US-led war against terror.  Mr. Powell was speaking in Marrakesh, during a brief tour of North Africa.  He later stressed the importance of press freedom, broad political participation and respect for human rights on a visit to Algeria.  The visits to Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria are aimed at increasing co-operation in the war against terrorism and promoting democratic reform. 

Mr. Powell said he held "candid" discussions with Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika on the past years of political violence in Algeria, which has claimed thousands of lives. He said he called for full and open political participation "for all who wish to participate", including free, fair and transparent elections, and MrBouteflika gave him corresponding "assurances". Islamic militants took up arms against the Algerian Government in 1992 afterthe authorities scrapped elections that an Islamist party was poised to win. Fresh presidential elections are expected next April. Morocco praised Earlier, Mr. Powell congratulated Moroccan King Mohammed VI on what he called bold political reforms. He thanked the Muslim leader for his support of US policy in Iraq and efforts to solve the conflict in the Middle East. Mr. Powell said Morocco and the US shared the same vision of Israeli and Palestinian states coexisting peacefully. He announced that the roadmap - the US-brokered plan to bring peace to the Middle East - was definitely not dead. He said what was needed now was a commitment by Palestinian Prime Minister Abu Ala to fight terrorism.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3287563.stm
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Morocco, US More than ever Set on Fighting Terrorism, Powell
MARRAKESH, Dec.03

Morocco and the United States are more than ever set on fighting terrorism, said here Wednesday US secretary of state, Colin Powell at the end of his visit to Morocco, the second leg of his three-nation Maghreban tour.

We know more than ever that we have to fight this plague. Nations and societies must unite to avoid any drift, Powell said before his departure to
Algeria.

We found ourselves united in this, he said, alluding to 9/11 and May 16terrorist attacks in Casablanca. The US official said his country has supported all the measures Morocco has taken to consolidate its democratic process, terming the legislative and local polls that took place in the kingdom respectively September 11, 2002and September 12, 2003, as "successful". In the same vein, Collin Powell lauded the election of Morocco's first woman mayor (Asma Chaabi in Essaouira) and the reform of the Mudawana (family law).

The head of US diplomacy said he congratulated H.M. King Mohammed VI on althea initiatives that have been taken, affirming that President George W. Bush has often cited the kingdom as a model.

Concerning the Free trade talks underway between the two countries, the state secretary said the United States will be mindful of Moroccan concerns over rural world and farming products. He said he was convinced that concluding the agreement will offer great economic opportunities toAmericans as well as Moroccans, affirming that the FTA will have positive effects on all economic sectors of activity.

Earlier, the US official held a series of meetings with Moroccan officials, most importantly with Moroccan premier, Driss Jettou

In a meeting with representatives of the Moroccan civil society, Powell said Morocco is going on the right path thanks to the leadership of H.M. King Mohammed VI and the various reforms carried out in the country. MAP 2003
http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm
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H.M King Mohammed VI Holds Talks with US Secretary of State
MARRAKECH, Dec. 03

H.M King Mohammed VI held talks here Wednesday with US
secretary of state, Colin Powell, who later headed to Algeria at the end of his visit to Morocco, the second leg of his three-nation Maghreban tour Earlier, the US official held a series of meetings with Moroccan officials, most importantly with Moroccan premier, Driss Jettou with whom he pondered trade exchanges, US investments in Morocco, bilateral cooperation and the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) under negotiations between the two countries and which is expected to be concluded by the end of the year.

During a meeting with representatives of the Moroccan civil society, Powell said Morocco is going on the right path thanks to the leadership of H.M king Mohammed VI and the various reforms carried out in the country.

The US official underlined that youth and private sector participation is crucial for the development of the country. He added it is important to
encourage education that is adapted to the needs of the labor market and to establish an appropriate environment for investment and flow of capitals.

Assistant secretary of state, William Burns, was present at the meeting during which representatives of Moroccan NGOs presented the action conducted by their respective organizations. MAP 2003
http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm
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Al Alam: environment degradation endangers over 2,000 animal, vegetal species in Morocco
Morocco, Environment, 12/5/2003

Environment degradation endangers some 1,670 vegetal and 610 animal species, Moroccan secretary of state in charge of environment, M'hammed El Morabit, said.In an interview published Thursday by the daily Al Alam, El Morabit said forests over-exploitation causes the loss of 31,000 ha and several fauna and flora species. It also worsens desert encroachment and land erosion and causes dam silt up.

The official cited solutions enforced by the kingdom such as the creation of a national fund for environment that will be endowed with some 400 million dirhams ($40 million) annually. The fund will be financed by the environment department and international donations, he said.

El Morabit went on that his department is finalizing studies on the processing of dangerous waste in Casablanca. A center, he said, will set upwithin the framework of Moroccan-German cooperation and will process 80 to90% of the city's waste.
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/031205/2003120519.html
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H.M King Mohammed VI Orders Drawing up Report on Human Development in Morocco in Last 50 Years
RABAT, Nov. 29

H.M King Mohammed VI has issued instructions to draw up a report on human development in Morocco from 1955 to 2005 to objectively assess the recent history of the country and come out with proposals likely to assist public development policies.

The report comes in follow up of the sovereign's speech of last August 20 on the occasion of the Revolution of the King and the People day. "We have a duty to ensure that the golden jubilee of our independence is a special historic event. This is the appropriate time to pause and assess the steps taken and the stages reached by our country in the field of human development over the last half century. We should identify our successes as well as our setbacks and our ambitions, and draw lessons from the choices we have made during this historic period which has been marked by major developments," the royal speech had underlined.

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) will be associated to the report which will be supervised by a steering committee and a scientific commission that will present an objective outlook about the last half century in Morocco and make a comparative analysis between the Moroccan human development experience and other countries.

To this aim, the Moroccan monarch appointed royal advisor, Abdelaziz MezianeBelfkih, and Al-Akhawayn university president, Rachid Benmokhtar, respectively chairman of the steering committee in charge of the report and chairman of the scientific commission. H.M King Mohammed VI issued instructions to the government to facilitate thework on the report and allow the committee in charge of it to have access to the population census due in 2004.
The golden jubilee report, expected to be completed in November 2005, will be broadly published. © MAP 2003
http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm
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Over 1,200 Moroccans affected by AIDS, official figures
Morocco, Health, 12/2/2003

Statistics of the Moroccan health ministry say 1,237 Moroccans are affected by AIDS, and between 13,000 and 16,000 persons are HIV positive. Out of the group of AIDS affected people, 63% are males and 37% females. Sexual transmission accounts for 73% of cases.

The statistics were released on the occasion of the world anti-AIDS days(Dec.1) that featured a series of awareness events by the Pan-African anti-Aids Organization (OPALS) and the Anti-Aids association (ALCS).

For OPALS chairwoman, Nadia Bezad, although the situation is not yet very worrying in Morocco compared to other African countries, it is important that all the concerned actors get mobilized. OPALS has presented a program revolving around three major axes: medical and psycho-social treatment, prevention and community action. The organization has prepared a CD-ROM, a movie and a set of awareness actions, including visits to schools by physicians who will give courses on sexually-transmitted diseases, inform teens on medical services they can obtain at the association and encourage them to undergo anonymous testing at itinerant centers.

Meanwhile the ALCS said it will focus its awareness events and prevention campaigns on major tourism cities.

The events, which include concerts, distribution of posters and pamphlets, abroad mailing operation with the water bill and a caricature exhibition, will target especially the cities of Marrakech, Agadir, Tangier andEssaouira.

Chairwoman of the association, Hakima Himmich, said 1,000 families and100,000 administrations will receive the ALCS message.

The association will also conduct a series of prevention and awareness actions in the poorest districts of Marrakech through an itinerant info-bus which carries a physician and volunteers who answer teens' questions. The bus can also conduct anonymous and free HIV tests for people wishing to have the test.

On its part, the health ministry said it will increase starting next year the anonymous and confidential testing centers as well those that provide treatment to AIDS-affected people.

The ministry said it is collaborating with ngos and international donors to conduct a nationwide strategic plan covering the 2002-2004 period. The plan focuses on three complementary actions: prevention targeting vulnerable populations, detecting HIV infection and treatment of affected persons.
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/031202/2003120216.html
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Morocco, US Start 6th Round of FTA Negotiations
WASHINGTON, Dec. 02

Morocco and the U.S. started Monday the 6th round of negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) expected to be concluded by the end of the year.

Moroccan and US chief negotiators, respectively Taib Fassi Fihri and Catherine Novelli, announced last October at the end of the 5th round they have registered a substantial progress in negotiations and voiced confidence that the accord will be signed before the end of 2003.

Fihri pointed out that the two sides agreed on a special chapter for agriculture to allow Morocco achieve rural development and boost itsexports.

For her part, Novelli said her country understands Morocco's concerns regarding the agricultural sector, underscoring that the accord will benefit the two countries.

In preparation to the 6th round that is focusing on sensitive issues, Fihri held last week a coordination meeting with representatives of the private sector to discuss the progress of negotiations with the US in differentsectors.

FTA negotiations mainly center on industrial products, intellectual property rights, custom duties, labor, environment, agriculture, investment andtelecommunications.

The decision to conclude an FTA between Morocco and the U.S. was announced in April 2002 during a state visit of H.M. king Mohammed VI to the UnitedStates.

Several US congressmen, senior officials and businessmen have expressed support to the accord. MAP 2003
http://www.map.co.ma/mapeng/eng.htm
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Morocco, US to conclude free trade agreement: Agriculture, trade reforms remain stumbling blocks to negotiations American, European investors are making tough demands on country to push forward with economic liberalization
Issandr El Amrani Special to The Daily Star

RABAT: Morocco and the US will conclude a Free Trade Agreement by the end of this year, according to officials from both countries, but there remain hard choices to be made ahead. Announced by US President George W. Bush in April 2002, the Morocco-US FTA has recently concluded its fourth round of negotiations which had to take place this summer in Geneva instead of Rabat as originally planned because of anti-US sentiment in the Moroccan capital. The talks focus on 11 areas: agriculture, market access, intellectual property rights protection, investment, services, government procurement, labor rights, environmental protection, textiles, electronic commerce, and customs rules.

Although Morocco has a good decade of economic liberalization behind it, US corporations and congressmen are making tough demands on the country whose economy is still weakened by the global economic downturn, a drop in interest on the part of international investors and the terrorist attacks that took place in Casablanca on May 16, 2003. The latest round focused on demands on by US corporate lobbies for greater legal reform in Morocco, particularly in investment laws and the enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR), while the Moroccan government made a plea for an incremental approach to liberalizing the agricultural sector. Morocco has taken important steps to peel away protectionist measures and improve its administrative and legal structure. Most notably, it has implemented multilateral conventions on the environment and adopted a new labor code. IPR provisions have also been improved in conformity with the international standards defined by the World Trade Organization, which Morocco was among the first developing countries to join. A new generation of technocrats, often trained abroad, has begun to shake up a public administration that was once a bureaucratic nightmare.

On the other hand, competition in the banking and a few other sectors still leaves much to be desired, as does transparency in the exchange rate mechanism. There are also intangible elements of doing business in Morocco such as the web of personal relations and influence peddling that are still often necessary conduct business that are perceived as obstacles. "A period of transition is still required to get ready for the coming agreement," said Taieb Fassi Fihri, Morocco's Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, who is in charge of negotiations. The greatest obstacle is agriculture, a key sector of the economy in a country with a large rural population. About 47 percent of Moroccans live in rural areas, with cereal crops, mostly wheat, accounting for two-thirds of the nation's arable territory. The country is already facing a growing rural exodus, with an estimated 230,000 people migrating to cities.

Whatever the advantages of a FTA, the government is weary of the long-terms effect it might have on the country, particularly after several years of low rainfall between 1999 and 2002 caused a prolonged malaise well beyond the countryside. The focus on protecting the agriculture sector reflects that long-running theme in Moroccan political economy. Morocco is hoping to obtain is an incremental approach to the agricultural chapter of the FTA, much like the one that exists in the Partnership Agreement it signed with the European Union. Although neither side has officially confirmed any details about the status of negotiations, sources say that a phase-in period of up to 10 years may be implemented to soften the liberalization process.

In the meantime, the Moroccan government is hoping to focus on the liberalization of the tourism sector, where it feels US and European firms have much to gain from investment. But first it will have to convince the Americans that Morocco is serious about free trade and liberalization. "Problems regarding intellectual property must be resolved before concluding the agreement with Morocco," said Laura Lane, vice-president of International Public Policy at Time Warner and co-chair of the US-Morocco FTA Coalition, speaking at a recent conference at the Center for Strategic Studies in Washington. "Over 95 percent of American music in Morocco is pirated. Small family firms make and distribute nearly 70 percent of pirated goods control piracy in Morocco. There cannot be an agreement with Morocco if such illegal activities are not fought." Others demand the removal of maximum foreign ownerships of companies in certain sectors, such as insurance, or the protection of confidential business information, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/business/02_12_03_e.asp
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Fund lends Morocco 215 mln euros for water scheme
TUNIS, Dec 3 (Reuters)

The African Development Fund, the African Development Bank (AfDB) soft lending arm, granted Morocco a 215 million euros loan to finance a water scheme, AfDB said on Wednesday. "The objective of the programme is to ensure a more economical use of wateras well as an appropriate protection and conservation of water resources, "the bank added in a statement. AfDB said separately it had approved a $87.32 million loan to Tunisia to finance a railway infrastructure upgrading project. "The aim of the project is to modernise the railway infrastructure and rationalize management costs in order to enhance the efficiency and qualityof the services," it added. The Fund also approved a $10 million loan to Djibouti's port management firm Societe Djiboutienne de Gestion du Terminal Vraquier to finance the construction and expansion of a terminal for cereals and fertilizers. "These (terminal) facilities are designed for storing and processing cereal sand fertilizers in bulk form for export to Ethiopia and the sub-region, "AfDB said. The African Development Fund is the AfDB window to grant soft loans to the poorest countries on the African continent. ((Reporting by Lamine Ghanmi,+216-71 787538 fax +216-71 787454; Reuters Messaging:lamine.ghanmi.reuters.com@reuters.net; email: tunis.newsroom@reuters.com))
http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm?id=1070458697nL03625495&section=Countries&page=Morocco&channel=All%20Morocco%20News&objectid=22403786-8F1A-11D4-867000D0B74A0D7C
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Morocco earmarks $1.4 mln for handicapped integration
Morocco, Local, 12/3/2003

The Moroccan secretariat of state in charge of family, solidarity and social action has earmarked for 2003 over 14 million dirhams ($1.4 million) to support 160 associations working in the field of handicapped persons integration.The department says in its annual activities report partnership with the civil society is the key to improve handicapped persons' condition, recalling that in 2003, some 200 associations have benefited from its support and advise.

Concerning education, the department says it has mainly created 104 special classes and organized training sessions for educators, inspectors and
headmasters.

The enactment this year of the law on accessibilities for handicapped persons is a major asset that will reinforce Morocco's endeavors in favor ofthe handicapped, the document goes.

According to the document, the secretariat of state in charge of family, solidarity and social action has also set up special libraries, handed devices worth some 2.27 million DH and supported many handicappedjob-seekers.
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/031203/2003120325.html
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Moroccan-Jewish community council raises funds to assist Palestinian hospitals
Morocco-Palestine, Politics, 12/1/2003

The Council of Jewish Community in Morocco will organize next December 2 af und-raising gala in Madrid to raise funds for Palestinian hospitals.

The event is also sponsored by the Spanish "Mundo en Armonia" association chaired by princess Irene of Greece, the Spain-based Peres center for peace and the Palestinian health council.

The gala will feature songs that highlight the common basis of the Jewish and Islamic-Moroccan cultures and merge the music of the two cultures in a recital that is an hymn for peace, tolerance and the acceptance of theother.

The concert, organized by chairman of the Council of the Jewish community in Morocco, Serge Berdugo, will include Sephardic Moroccan songs performed inArabic, Hebrew and Spanish by Francoise Atlan and Zoubeida Idrissi.

The concert was first performed during Morocco's days in France in 2000 and is now played in many countries part of a world tour that started in May2000 in Casablanca.

The event will take place at a time when the international community is celebrating Saturday the international day of solidarity with the Palestinian people.
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/031201/2003120119.html
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Belgian-backed water project launched in Morocco
Dec 2, 2003 (Al-Bawaba via COMTEX)

A Belgian-financed water purification and sanitation plant began operations on November 29, 2003 in the southern town of Tarfaya, Morocco, reported MAP. The Belgian government contributed $3.3 million to the purification system and $2.4 million to the sanitation plant. The water purification plant will meet the town's drinking water needs until 2010 and will contribute to the refurbishment and expansion of the distribution network. The European Investment Bank (EIB) provided EUR20 million ($21.3 million) in2001 for schemes to upgrade the environmental operating conditions of seven drinking water treatment plants in northern and central Morocco, including the major Bou Regreg complex serving the cities of Rabat and Casablanca. -(menareport.com) By Mena Report Reporters (C) 2003 Albawaba.com, All rights reserved.
http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm?id=336w3935&section=Countries&page=Morocco&channel=All%20Morocco%20News&objectid=22403786-8F1A-11D4-867000D0B74A0D7C
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International finance, business expo to be held in Morocco
Regional-Morocco, Local, 12/1/2003

The second edition of the international finance and business expo will beheld in Casablanca next December 2-5 with the participation of several Moroccan and foreign experts.  Participants in the expo will discuss the role of the World Bank in the Middle East and North Africa, investment opportunities in the Arab states, Arab financial markets and the contribution of new information technologies in the promotion of the banking sector.

Arab League's chief, Amr Moussa will deliver at the expo's opening session a speech that will mainly focus on the issue of the Middle East and North Africa in face of the challenge of globalization.
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/031201/2003120118.html
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'Costa Fortuna' cruise ship stops over in Casablanca
Morocco, Local, 12/1/2003

Italian liner "Costa Fortuna," owned by the Italian company Costa Crociere (Genoa), will stop over on Saturday at Casablanca in its inaugural trip. The choice to stop in Morocco's economic capital "confirms Casablanca's strategic position in the international network of cruise ships, "Casablanca's regional tourism council said in a release. The 272.2 meter-length vessel has also scheduled stops in Nice, Barcelona, Malaga, and Palma de Majorque. "Costa Fortuna" can carry up to 4,470 passengers including 1,000 members of the crew
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Reform of family law proves no incompatibility between Islam and democracy,ambassador
Morocco, Politics, 11/29/2003

The new Family law announced by Moroccan King Mohammed VI at the opening of the parliament session last month, proves that there is "no incompatibility between Islam, a religion of justice, and democracy" for which Morocco has opted since its independence, said, in Washington Monday, Moroccan ambassador to the United States.

Aziz Mekouar who was participating in a debate on such topics as relations between the United States and the Arab and Muslim World, organized by the "World Affairs Council" in Washington, said that this new code which will besoon submitted to Parliament, is the fruit of a deep reflection and consensus among the various components of the Moroccan society. He said the family law, which replaces the 1957 code of the personal Status, known as "Mudawana," restores women's rights.
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Islamic university of technology elect Morocco as president
Local, 11/29/2003

Morocco was recently elected in Dacca (Bangladesh) president of the governing board of the Islamic University of Technology in recognition of
the role it played to "serve the interests of the Islamic Ummah in general and its efforts within the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) inparticular," the Moroccan foreign affairs ministry said in a release.

Morocco's ambassador to Bangladesh, Mohamed Saghrouchni, will represent his country in the university's governing board which also comprisesrepresentatives from Pakistan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Cameroon, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bangladesh.

These countries were elected members of the governing board during the conference of OIC's foreign ministers held lately in Tehran.

The Islamic University of Technology teaches students from Islamic countries and aims to improve human resources of member states and training in electricity, electronics, mechanical engineering, and computer science.
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/031129/2003112922.html
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Morocco cuts customs duties on soft wheat from 90 to 55% as of December 8th
Economics, 12/3/2003

The Moroccan government decided to cut customs rights on soft wheat from 90%to 55% as of December 08. The cut concerns imported wheat costing less than1,000DH (around $100)/Ton
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/031203/2003120327.html
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Moroccan government adopts new audio-visual draft law
Politics, 12/5/2003

The Moroccan government adopted this Thursday at its weekly meeting the new audio-visual draft law, government spokesman and communication minister, Nabil Benabdellah told reporters.

The draft was first tabled at the government council last Nov. 20, said the spokesman before insisting that the new law is part of the audio-visual sector liberalization and consolidates ongoing democratization in Morocco.

It is also destined to consolidate political pluralism and civil freedoms to support the will of King Mohammed VI to establish a democratic and modernsociety, said Benabdellah.

For the minister, the draft is expected to enjoy unanimity when it goes to the parliament's two chambers for discussion after it was welcomed by the press union (SNPM) and other professional bodies.

Morocco has started a series of moves to reform and liberalize its audio-visual communication sector that will be supervised by a Higher Council for Audio-visual Communication. Council members were appointed lastmonth.
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/031205/2003120516.html
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Powell to Encourage Democratization on North Africa Trip
VOA News 02 Dec 2003,

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell begins a three nation tour of North Africa Tuesday, during which he will encourage political reform and democratization. Mr. Powell begins his trip in the Tunisian capital, Tunis, where he is scheduled to meet President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and other officials. He meets Wednesday with leaders in Morocco before wrapping up his trip with talks in Algeria. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said part of Mr. Powell's agenda is to encourage the North African nations to further embrace democracy and combat terrorism. Mr. Boucher also said Mr. Powell would discuss human rights with leaders in Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria. Before Mr. Powell departed Washington, Human Rights Watch appealed to him to make human rights a major theme of his trip. The group asked Mr. Powell to "frankly" address human rights problems in each of the three countries, and to make clear that the fight against terrorism "must not be waged at the expense of human rights." Human Rights Watch cited problems, including what it called a number of suspicious cases of people being arrested, disappearing or dying in Morocco since police there began investigating the series of suicide bombings that occurred in Casablanca last May.
http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=3D9D6AC4-C4E0-44B8-A477CABA8FE34685
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US, France compete on interests in North Africa: Trade, democracy, terrorism to dominate Powell trip to North Africa, Chirac will fly into Tunis for two-day visit.
By Hamida Ben Salah - TUNIS

US Secretary of State Colin Powell begins a two-day visit Tuesday to three North African countries where the United States says it is keen to encourage democracy and develop commercial ties while pursuing the fight against terrorism. Part of the purpose of Powell's successive visits to Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria was to "encourage the process of democratization which is under way in each of these places in different ways," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Monday. Powell was due to meet with all three heads of state but his schedule also included at least one encounter - in Morocco - with some of the civil society activists whom Boucher said were part of "efforts that we already have under way on the ground". Boucher declined to comment in detail on an appeal from New York-based Human Rights Watch for Powell "to state publicly in each of these countries that the fight against terror must not be waged at the expense of human rights."

Last week, the State Department said cooperation from Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco in the fight against global terror had been "excellent" and Washington was eager to "do what we can to support their efforts" through training, law enforcement and exchange of information. Both Morocco and Tunisia were hit by deadly bombings in the wake of the September 11 attacks - a series of bombs last May in Casablanca killed 45,while a suicide attack on a synagogue on the Tunisian island of Djerba in April 2002 left 21 people dead. A civil war in Algeria has meanwhile left at least 100,000 dead - 150,000according to human rights groups - since 1991. Terrorism is expected to loom large also on the agenda of a summit of the so-called Five Plus Five group of North African and southern European countries, to be held in Tunis on Friday and Saturday. But, according to Ahmed Ounaies, a Tunisian academic and specialist in international relations, Powell's visit and the summit would likely bring to light competing US and European interests in a region "whose strategic importance is increasingly evident".

In Rabat on October 28, the US assistant secretary of state for near eastern and north African affairs, William Burns, announced that the United States had decided to quadruple non-military aid to Morocco to 40 million dollars(33.5 million euros) from next year. Military aid will double to 20 million dollars. Burns also said the two countries would likely sign a free trade accord by the end of the year. A Tunisian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, commented that the United States saw the development of private enterprise and a market economy as the foundation of its economic ties with North Africa, while the European Union laid greater stress on financial aid. As Powell leaves Algeria on Wednesday at the end of his tour to go to Brussels. French President Jacques Chirac meanwhile will fly into Tunis for a two-day visit ahead of the Five Plus Five summit. That meeting also includes Algeria, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco Portugal and Spain.
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=8000
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Morocco poised to definitively shelve past human rights violations cases
Morocco, Politics, 12/2/2003

Chairman of the Consultative Council of Human Rights (CCDH), Omar Aziman,said Monday Morocco is poised to shelve once and for all cases of past human rights violations, mainly through the creation of the "Equity and Reconciliation Committee." Speaking at the opening of an encounter on the Committee, incepted last November 6, Azziman said the new body serves the ultimate objective that is reconciliation, so that the page of past violations be turned definitively. The body will be in charge of pursuing the out-of-court settlement of past human rights abuses related to forced disappearances and arbitrary detention and complete a fair and equitable rehabilitation of victims.

The CCDH chairman assured that the resolve to turn the page will help consolidate the rule of the law, stressing how unique the Moroccan experience in the field is.

Azziman also hailed the action of human rights associations underlining that the divergence of views between them and the CCDH is natural, since these associations aim for an "ideal and absolute framework" while the council is handling the question using concrete data.

Human rights minister, Mohammed Aujjar, said the creation of "Equity and Reconciliation committee" evidences a genuine political determination to put an end to injustices, and Morocco's choice as far as democracy and human rights are concerned.

The encounter features two workshops. The first focuses on the context, significance and objectives of the commission, while the second deals with the role of politicians and human rights people in the equity and reconciliation process.  The meeting gathered representatives of the CCDH, human rights organizations, unions and ministries.
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/031202/2003120218.html
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Two major Moroccan banks merge
Morocco, Business, 12/2/2003

The "Banque Commerciale du Maroc" (BCM) and Wafabank, owned by the Kettani family, have decided to merge to form a major financial group, executives of the Kettani group and of the BCM announced here Monday.

The merger is to become effective next January, said the executives who alsoannounced that a takeover bid for 100% of Wafabank capital will be launched next March.

BCM CEO, Khalid Oudghiri, said the merger will not entail any layoff atWafabank.

The BCM-Wafabank group will be a key actor in Moroccan socio-economic development and will create investments funds in several sectors, support small and medium-sized enterprises, develop close contacts with professional organizations, promote the emergence of national economic groups and increase population bankarization that hardly exceeds today 15%.

The merger was first initiated on November 24 when the BCM bought for 2.08billion DH the capital of OGM, owned by the Kettani family.
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/031202/2003120217.html
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Morocco, Spain probe project of permanent link in Gibraltar strait
Morocco-Spain, Economics, 12/4/2003

Morocco and Spain held in Madrid Tuesday the 35th meeting of the joint commission in charge of feasibility studies of the project of a permanentlink between the two countries through the Gibraltar strait.

The meeting, co-chaired by Moroccan equipment and transport minister, KarimG hellab, and Spanish secretary of state in charge of infrastructures, BeninoBlanco Rodriguez, outlined the project's action plan for 2004-2006.

The two countries approved an action plan concerning a geo-technical research program and an engineering study that will cost 27 million Euro, tobe equally financed by the two parties.

"The approval of the action plan will boost the studies conducted for the implementation of the project and will give the green light for the start of drilling in the autumn of 2004," Ghellab told MAP.

Drilling is the first phase that will enable to gather the required information to start practical steps.

Morocco and Spain will seek the financial assistance of the European Union for research and infrastructure. The two sides agreed to hold the committee's coming meeting next June
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/031204/2003120425.html
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Casablanca holds its 5th international dance festival December 10-13
Morocco, Local, 12/5/2003

Casablanca will be holding its 5th international dance festival this December 10-13 under the theme "exchange between Africa, Asia and Europe." The event, organized by the associations Contretemps and Arts de La Danse, is viewed as a unique concept that draws the attention of world dance lovers and opens the eyes of a large Moroccan public on this art, organizers said. The festival will feature shows of companies from around the world including China and Iraq, workshops and screenings.
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/031205/2003120522.html
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North African leaders urge a fight against poverty to curb terror
TUNIS, Tunisia, Dec 05, 2003 (AP World Stream via COMTEX)

The global war on terrorism must be backed up by a fight against poverty in North Africa,where crowded slums and grim prospects for employment breed Islamic extremism, leaders in the region said. Their remarks came at the opening Friday of an informal, two-day summit in Tunisia that brought leaders from five southern European countries together with five of their counterparts from across the Mediterranean. North African leaders are hoping for more business ties with Europe to improve their economies, while leaders from France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Malta are urging better cooperation on illegal immigration and terrorism.

North African heads of state agreed that improving security will help, but also cited the hopelessness that makes young men vulnerable to extremism. "We should not forget the need to control the underlying causes of terrorism," Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika said, citing poverty and underdevelopment in his country, where 40 percent of the population is under20 years old.

Algeria's Islamic militants have been trying to topple the government for 12years, often by setting bombs or slitting throats. About 120,000 people have died. The movement spread tentacles abroad, with militants bombing French subways in 1995. Since Sept. 11, 2001, Algerian suspects have been arrested in Europe and the United States for plotting attacks. Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, host of the summit in this smoggy seaside city, also said the war on terror "must not be confined to security measures, but rather based on a coherent approach tackling their root problems."

His nation, prosperous by North African standards, has had an iron-fisted crackdown against fundamentalism for decades. But it hasn't been immune to terror: A truck bomb blast at a synagogue on the balmy resort island of Djerba last year killed 21 people, mostly German tourists. Morocco had been largely spared Islamic violence until May, when suicide bombers strapped explosives on their backs and killed 33 people in Casablanca, its largest city and economic engine. Both Europe and the United States are wooing North Africa for cooperation against terrorism. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell swung through the region this week, pushing for democratic change. The African countries at the "5 plus 5" summit, as it is called, are Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Mauritania and Libya. Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi made an energetic debut, blowing kisses and waving to a cheering crowd as he strolled down a Tunis street. Later, he seemed listless, leaning back against his headrest while other leaders gave speeches. Gadhafi gave no address. Outside the conference center, officers in black uniforms and berets patrolled the palm-lined streets. Some roads were blocked off, causing traffic jams.

The summit was a rare chance for leaders from North Africa to meet for friendly talks. Regional cooperation has been thwarted for decades by a dispute over Western Sahara, a territory on Africa's Atlantic Coast. Morocco claims the territory as its own. French President Jacques Chirac urged the countries to work harder to resolve their differences, a remark that seemed directed at Morocco and Algeria, which are at odds in the dispute. "I want to ... make a solemn call to our North African partners to deepen their dialogue," Chirac said. But chances for a real compromise seemed slim after Moroccan King Mohammed VI held to his country's position, saying that any settlement of the conflict "must guarantee national unity and territorial integrity" of Morocco - meaning it won't relinquish control of Western Sahara. For European leaders, the meeting offers a chance to show they haven't forgotten their Muslim neighbors to the south as the European Union expands to take in 10 new members in 2004.

At the closest point, Europe and North Africa are separated only by a12-kilometer (7.5-mile) stretch of water between Spain and Morocco. Every year, thousands of migrants make the dangerous trip across the Mediterranean- some in rubber dinghies - seeking a better life in Europe. "Let's not mistake the debate: Europe has needed immigrants and will continue to need them," Romano Prodi, president of the European Commission, said. "But not in anarchic, disgraceful conditions."

Other leaders taking part are Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Durao Barroso, Maltese Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami and Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi. Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar was scheduled to stay for Friday only, and Mauritania's president sent Prime Minister Sghair Ould M'Bareck in his place. By ANGELA DOLAND Associated Press Writer Copyright 2003 Associated Press, All rights reserved
http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm?id=339w1604&section=Countries&page=Morocco&channel=All%20Morocco%20News&objectid=22403786-8F1A-11D4-867000D0B74A0D7C
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Morocco promises streamlined customs.
01 December 2003

For many foreign investors, the administrative environment provided by a host country can be as important as its low labor costs or geographic advantage. A company that manufactures goods from imported raw materials for export, for instance, must be able to ship quickly if it wants to satisfy its customers abroad. This is particularly the case in the textile industry, where garment-makers in North Africa and eastern Europe are vying for western European retail business.

Regional entrepreneurs, then, will be cheered to hear of Morocco's imminent launch of a new customs regime, which promises to vastly improve the lot of the nation's traders. While Cairo has improved some of its administrative procedures (the once dreaded mugamma, for example, is no longer synonymous with bureaucratic absurdity à la Terry Gillian's Brazil), it has remained slow in responding to many essential business needs.

Egypt's antiquated customs regime, for one, has remained an area that the private sector would love to see streamlined. Currently, many traders complain of month-long waits to collect imported goods. Likewise, paying -and then, in some cases, being refunded - taxes can be time-consuming, often serving to lock up corporate cash flows.

Additionally, customs procedures are often associated with bureaucracy and institutionalized corruption. Importers have related stories of customs officials accepting bribes in return for allowing them to evade payment of customs duties.

This was certainly the situation in Morocco, a country where the practice of greasing the wheels of the system with a little baksheesh has a long history- until recently. Over the past three years, Morocco's finance ministry has undertaken a complete overhaul of the country's customs regime, aiming to transform the complex - and often shady - system into an efficient, corruption-free organization.

With this goal in mind, the ministry is scheduled to launch a new, high-tech computer networking system by the end of 2003, enabling customs officials toshare information among themselves, and other branches of state bureaucracy,in real time. E-services will also be available on a government website,designed to facilitate the wider public in its dealings with the customs authority.

As a country in close proximity to Europe, and which has sizeable immigrant populations in nearby Spain, France and Italy, Morocco sees a lot of traffic, both in goods and people. The problem of slow customs processing, therefore, is particularly acute in the summer, when what the Moroccan government calls Marocains Resident à l'Etranger, or Moroccans residing abroad, make annual trips to their home country for the holidays. Most of these come through the port of Tangiers, along with cars laden with goods they hope to resell on the local market. Usually, this creates a massive logjam for customs officials at ports of entry.

It now appears, though, that next summer's batch of Moroccans won't face the customary gridlock, thanks to the ministry's much-touted new system, which will allow it to process goods coming in and out of the country at a fraction of the time required previously.

"Beforehand, to know how much customs would be, what documents were needed and where one had to go to get them, multiple trips were needed to various government offices," said Omar Farraj, the director of general and administrative affairs at the Moroccan finance ministry and one of the architects of the new system. "But since the website came online, all you do is enter your information, and you're immediately provided with detailed instructions and all the needed forms."

Under the new system, returnees coming into the country with new vehicles will have to wait only about half an hour, rather than the two-three hours that used to be the norm. Furthermore, time spent in follow-up efforts to finalize vehicle registration will be cut dramatically.

The same advantages will accrue to the nation's importers and exporters, saving them time and expenses, with new registration procedures promising to reduce the time that importers wait for products from three weeks to two or three days.

Officials at the finance ministry - an early advocate of e-government (the taxation system is scheduled to receive the next big IT overhaul) - hope that their colleagues in other government departments will eventually get with the program. In fact, the new system was specifically designed to be open-ended, allowing for integration with other state services as they come online. "All these systems are designed to connect with future ones, something that was not done earlier," said Farraj.

Another of the system's advantages, Farraj added, is that it will inevitably reduce corruption. "[The new, computerized system] has added transparency to the customs procedure," Farraj said. "The relationship between bureaucrats and citizens is more ethical. Citizens can now know their rights and be fully informed."

Bachir Rashdi, head of the Moroccan chapter of Transparency International, an NGO dedicated to combating corruption worldwide, agreed. A computer engineer himself, Rashdi argued that new technologies can serve as effective tools against corruption by forcing everyone to adhere to a single standard. "There's a need for more transparency in the relationship between citizens and the administration," said Rashdi. "We need to simplify public administration, and, to do so, we're working on its modernization." The finance ministry's Farraj, meanwhile, thinks the new system, which represents the fruit of hundreds of man-hours by computer engineers, could be marketed abroad. But first, he has to convince his fellow bureaucrats -many of whom have deep attachments to the old ways of running things - that the time has come for a serious lifestyle change. "People think that when machines arrive, they are in competition with them, "Farraj said. "But machines free them from routine to allow them a higher level of reflection. "Issandr El Amrani © Business Monthly 2003
http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfmid=ZAWYA20031201083559&Section=Countries&page=Morocco&channel=Features%2C%20Analysis%20and%20Opinion&objectid=13F83A62-8988-11D5-867E00D0B74A0D7C
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Cap royal from Morocco to Monaco via Gibraltar, Baleares sea
Morocco, Local, 12/3/2003
Morocco's Prince Moulay Rachid will give the departure signal from Tangierto the first cruising-race of classic yachts "Cap Royal," placed under theHigh patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI. Cap Royal will link the four kingdoms of the Mediterranean Basin, fromMorocco to Monaco, via Gibraltar and the Baleares sea.
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/031203/2003120326.html

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