Morocco's exports surge 5.3% to 331 billion dirhams  (Read more...)

Break Dance : Morocco's Lil Zoo wins the Red Bull BC One B-Boy competition

Casablanca-native Lil Zoo was able to win for the first time the Red Bull BC One, an annual international B-Boy competition organized by the energy drink company Red Bull. He participated in the tournament for five times and made it last years to the semifinals. Foad Ambelj aka Lil Zoo started dancing in his home town 10 years ago. He represented Morocco at the World Finals of Red Bull BC One in Rio de Janeiro in 2012. He become later the first three-time winner of a Red Bull BC One Cypher

Horst Köhler urges the Polisario and Morocco to hold talks in Geneva

The Personal Envoy for Western Sahara Horst Köhler has invited Morocco and the Polisario to hold talks on the 4th and 5th of December in Geneva, reports APS. During his visit to the Security Council on August the 8th, Köhler stated that he wants to relaunch the peace process, which has been blocked since March 2012, before the end of the current year. The UN diplomat seized the opportunity at the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly to intensify diplomatic activities while in New

Counterterrorism : Moroccan-Spanish cooperation is an example to follow

Cooperation between Morocco and Spain in the fight against terrorism is «excellent» and an example to follow for other countries in the region, said, on Friday in New York, Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell. «Cooperation between Spain and Morocco in the fight against terrorism is an example to follow for other countries to address this scourge, because it is a cooperation that is beneficial for both parties», said Borrel in a statement to the press after his

South Sudan does not recognize «SADR», its Foreign Minister says

Foreign Minister of the Republic of South Sudan Nhial Deng Nhial said, on Friday at UN headquarters, that his country does not recognize the existence of «SADR», adding that President Salva Kiir Mayardit had sent a letter to King Mohammed VI on this matter. «In this letter, President Salva Kiir Mayardit had informed the Sovereign, in a categorical way, that the Republic of South Sudan has never had and is not maintaining a relation with this separatist entity (SADR). We fully

Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita meets Antonio Guterres in New York

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Nasser Bourita met, on Friday at UN Headquarters in New York, with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the General Assembly. On this occasion, Guterres «thanked the Kingdom of Morocco for its support for United Nations activities, including peacekeeping operations», according to a report of the meeting, published by the UN press service. The UN chief «also

Africa Cup of Nations : Saudi Arabia's Turki Al Sheikh backs the Moroccan bid

While he made sure to back the North American bid to host the 2026 World Cup, Saudi Arabia's Chairman of the General Sports Authority Turki Al Sheikh announced Thursday, 27th of September, that he supports the idea of having Morocco as a host of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations instead of Cameroon. «As president of the Union of Arab Football Associations, I fully support Morocco as a host of the Africa Cup of Nations, instead of Cameroon», he wrote on his Twitter

Killed in a boat : Human Rights Watch urges Morocco to investigate the tragedy

International organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) reacted on Thursday, 27th of September, to the death of a young Moroccan migrant who was shot by the Royal Navy while on a boat reaching for Spain. In a communiqué sent to Yabiladi, the NGO recalled that «on September the 25th, the Moroccan Navy opened fire on a boat in the Mediterranean, killing a 20-year-old Moroccan woman and injuring three others, who apparently were trying to emigrate to Europe». HRW also wrote that

Sahara : Horst Köhler intensifies his diplomatic activities at the UN

On the sidelines of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, Horst Köhler held several meetings. After holding talks, Tuesday, September 25, with David Hale, the United States Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, the German diplomat met the same day with the Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdelkader Messahel. The UN Secretary-General's personal envoy for Western Sahara also spoke with Ismail Ould Cheikh, Mauritania's Foreign Affairs Minister, as well as Belgian

UN : US diplomacy pays more attention to the Western Sahara question

On the sidelines of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, David Hale, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, met with Horst Köhler in New York on Tuesday. The meeting between the two men was held behind closed doors, as indicated by the department of Mike Pompeo in a note to the press. This is the second meeting of its kind in a few weeks between the UN Secretary-General's personal envoy for Western Sahara and a senior official from the Trump administration. On August the

Domestic growth expected to fall to 3.5% in 2018 and 3.1% in 2019, says Central Bank

Domestic growth is expected to fall from 4.1% in 2017 to 3.5% in 2018 and to 3.1% in 2019, according to central bank "Bank Al-Maghrib"'s projections. "Nationally, the recent national accounts data for the first quarter of 2018 indicate a year-on-year slowdown of GDP from 3.5% to 3.2%, covering a slower rise in agricultural value added at 2.5%, down from 14.8%, and higher increase in nonagricultural activities to 3.4%, up from 2%.These trends would continue over the medium term, as domestic

The European Parliament to hold two meetings in October on the fisheries agreement

Next October, members of the Fisheries Committee in the European Parliament will be examining the fisheries agreement concluded last July between Morocco and the European Commission. On Tuesday, October the 8th the parliament will take a look, with the authorities of the Kingdom of Morocco, at the partnership agreement in the field of sustainable fisheries signed by the EU and Morocco. A similar meeting will take place the day after and will be attended by the representatives of the Western

Morocco's net international reserves up 1.5%

Morocco's net international reserves amounted to 225.2 billion dirhams until September 14, 2018, recording a 1.5% year-on-year increase, Morocco's central bank (Bank Al-Maghrib) said. During the week of September 13-19, Bank Al-Maghrib injected 69.8 billion dirhams. As for the interbank rate, it remained at 2.26%, the source added in a press release. During the same period, the Dirham depreciated by 0.42% against the Euro and appreciated by 0.45% against the Dollar.

New York : Morocco calls for reforming the African Union's Peace and Security Council

During a ministerial meeting of the Peace and Security Council, held on September the 24th in New York, Morocco called for reforming the African Union. «It is crucial to reform the Peace and Security Council, the main pillar of the African Peace and Security body which is important to the stability of the African continent», said Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita. The minister was inspired by some of the suggestions mentioned in Rwandan President Paul Kagame's report to

Royal navy foils an illegal emigration operation

The Royal Navy in collaboration with the Royal Gendarmerie foiled an illegal emigration operation from Martil beach, according to a press release issued Sunday by the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces. A fighting unit of the Royal Navy operating in the Mediterranean tracked, on Saturday night, a very high-speed boat, which was trying to reach the beach of Martil to carry illegal immigrants, according to the same source. The coordination between this unit and two fast boats of the Royal

French-Moroccan footballer Mattéo Guendouzi dreams of joining the French team

Son of a Moroccan father and a French mother, international footballer Mattéo Guendouzi seems to have already made his choice regarding the national team he wants to join. Indeed, the young Arsenal player told sports newspaper, L'Equipe, that he has always played for several French clubs before, so wearing the blue jersey is one of his goals. «It's a dream I have in the back of my head». The 19-year-old has declined Hervé Renard's offer in 2017 and can be chosen to

The president of Melilla doesn't want «Moroccan students» in the city anymore

Six months ago, the president of Melilla proposed the construction of a school for 200 Moroccan students who were unable to benefit from national education. However, Juan Jose Imbroda changed his mind lately stating that these kids must be schooled «in their country», reports El Faro de Melilla. Imbroda believes that «it is absurd to enroll undocumented children in public centers in Melilla». «The city takes care of its students and of thousands others who have

Moroccans involved in illegal immigration attempts foiled late Aug. 2018 down to 13%

The number of Moroccans involved in illegal immigration attempts that were foiled by the end of August 2018 decreased from 20% to 13%, said minister delegate in charge of relations with parliament and civil society, government spokesperson Mustapha El Khalfi. During a press briefing following the weekly cabinet meeting, chaired by head of government Saad Eddine El Othmani, El Khalfi said the number of Moroccans involved in foiled attempts of illegal immigration decreased from 8,200 people at

Political disagreement between Morocco and Algeria blocks counterterrorism cooperation

Political disagreement between Morocco and Algeria over the status of the Sahara «remained an impediment to bilateral and regional counterterrorism cooperation in 2017», the US State Department pointed out in its annual Country Reports on Terrorism for the year 2017. Morocco, a Major Non-North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally, is a stable security-exporting partner that trains security, military, and law enforcement officials from sub-Saharan Africa and participates actively in