King Mohammed vows increased interest to NEPAD initiative
Regional-Morocco, Politics, 6/25/2003

Morocco's King Mohammed VI vowed this Tuesday that Morocco, which is chairing the G-77 and China, will extend an increased interest to the NEPAD (New Partnership for African Development) in order to help the continent out of instability, poverty and underdevelopment.

In a royal message read out by Moroccan minister of foreign affairs and cooperation, Mohamed Benaissa, during the opening session of an extraordinary session of least developed countries, the sovereign said "in our contacts, we shall put strong emphasis on the New Partnership for the Development of Africa (NEPAD) in an effort to help our continent out of the situation of instability, poverty and underdevelopment in which it seems to be sinking deeper and deeper."

The sovereign also spelled out Morocco's intent "to make the most of the forthcoming discussions, to develop a road map which will enable it to defend the interests of all members and to voice their common concerns in the international forums, mainly WTO, the UN, and even within the Group of 77 and China."

Opening developed countries' markets to products from LDCs, increasing official aid for development and lowering or even canceling external debt are among the objectives set by the royal message for the chair of G-77 and China.

"As for the agenda within the framework of the South-South cooperation, the message went on, Morocco plans to call on the other members of the Group of 77 to show tangible solidarity with LDCs, through targeted efforts in the fields of trade and cooperation."

The sovereign announced that Morocco will urge developed countries, during the High-Level Conference on South-South Cooperation, which is due to convene in Marrakesh in December 2003, to announce decisions similar to those taken by Morocco with respect to access to its market and cancellation of LDCs' debt in Africa.

The king stressed that after the post-cold war ideological divides and east-west confrontation, LDCs are entitled to look forward to a new world order marked by interdependence and universal predominance of the values of political and ideological liberalism, deploring the persistence of technological gaps between the north and the south.

The sovereign urged the international community "to take up the challenge by giving top priority to cooperation schemes designed to help these countries in their effort to achieve development."

Previous Stories:
  Morocco floats proposals for Arab Human Rights charter updating   (6/24/2003)
  Morocco chairs world urban development congress   (6/21/2003)
  Least developed countries hold conference in Rabat   (6/19/2003)
  G-8 leaders agree in principle to support NEPAD   (6/3/2003)
  King Mohammed stresses Africa's prosperity depends on citizens and human resources upgrading   (4/29/2003)
  Chirac calls for mobilizing efforts for birth of new Africa   (2/22/2003)
  Morocco, as president of G-77 Countries, expresses resolve to group interests   (9/21/2002)

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