Morocco projects to extend urgent humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan
Morocco-Afghanistan, Politics, 1/21/2002

Morocco announced in Tokyo this Monday plans to grant shortly an urgent humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and to offer to the Afghan authorities the needed assistance in agriculture, water resources, food industry and rural development.

The statement was made by Moroccan minister of foreign affairs and cooperation, Mohamed Benaissa, at the opening of the international conference of donors for the reconstruction of Afghanistan with participation of delegations from sixty countries and 20 international organizations.

"In support of the international community efforts for reconstruction and assistance to Afghanistan, the Kingdom of Morocco undertakes to grant in the near term, an urgent humanitarian assistance to this brotherly Islamic country," said Benaissa, adding "as far as the long term is concerned, Morocco will offer to the Afghan authorities the needed assistance in terms of expertise, know-how, technical cooperation and field assistance in areas such as agriculture, water resources, agro-industry and projects related to rural development at large."

After he underscored that Morocco "shares the international concerns over the need to confirm durably and in a sustainable manner the process initiated in Bonn to restore peace, security and stability," the head of the Moroccan diplomacy expressed Morocco's adherence to this movement of international solidarity for assistance and reconstruction of the country ravaged by decades of war. In particular, Benaissa went on, Morocco fully agrees with the chairmen's conclusions at the Brussels meeting last December to "place a special emphasis on building institutional capacity in Afghanistan."

The Moroccan official also surveyed various moves by Morocco to fight terrorism saying "Morocco which has always condemned terrorism in all its form, even before Sept.11, has organized an ecumenical ceremony in St Peter's cathedral in Rabat to which believers from the three monotheist religions gathered, thus expressing their refusal of any amalgam between Islam and terrorism." He went on that "His Majesty King Mohammed VI addressed on this occasion a message to participants based on the noble principles of peace, tolerance and brotherhood advocated by Islam."

Moreover, he said, "Morocco has supported the international action to establish the responsibilities of these acts, in accordance with international legality and in the framework of the relevant security council resolutions." "At the same time, Morocco has shown its solidarity with the Afghan people by offering an urgent humanitarian assistance (last October) to the Afghan people displaced in Pakistan and in the border region."

Previous Stories:
  Morocco hails formation of interim government in Afghanistan   (12/24/2001)
  Morocco, India hope war in Afghanistan would not be protracted   (11/2/2001)
  King Mohammed urges for settlement of Afghan crisis, unblocking situation in middle east   (11/1/2001)

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