Liz Cheney: Morocco could be a model for countries of the region
Morocco-USA, Politics, 4/14/2005

Liz Cheney, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs believes "Morocco could be a model for countries of the region," noting that "King Mohammed VI has put the country on the path of modernization while respecting Morocco's culture and traditions."

Cheney, who ended Tuesday a three-day official visit to Morocco, told Morocco Times that reforms instituted in the north African country were among the top issues she discussed with Moroccan officials.

"We have also discussed the new political parties' law and the new press code, which is before the parliament," she said, adding that talks also touched on education, notably girls' schooling.

On the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI)'s assistance to Morocco, Cheney said "we provide technical assistance as the (Moroccan) government looks at the reforms they need to implement once we have the FTA."

The Free Trade Agreement (FTA), signed between the two countries in June 2004, eliminates tariffs on 95 percent of all bilateral trade between the United States and Morocco, and includes stringent protections for intellectual property and the environment.

MEPI has granted USD 6 million to assist Morocco in the framework of the US-Moroccan FTA, and allocated USD 2 million to fund a programme related to the new family law (Mudawana).

According to Cheney, MEPI aims to disseminate knowledge about the family law approved by the Moroccan parliament last year to promote the situation of women and enhance genre equality.

She pointed out that the purpose of programs like MEPI is to support "reforms coming from people themselves and from the government."

"I think reforms are absolutely coming from the inside. Morocco is the model for the whole region in this regard."

MEPI, she explained, is not trying to impose reforms from outside, noting that it supports "universal values including the right to education, the right to vote, the right to have a jobÉ etc."

"These are a whole range of issues to which we will respond with our resources to the changes that are coming from people who live in each individual country," she said.

Previous Stories:
  Cheney hailed reforms ushered in Morocco by king Mohammed VI   (4/13/2005)
  Moroccan parliamentarians on American tour to shed light on Sahara issue   (3/28/2005)
  Congress staffers informed on several issues on Sahara in Laayoune   (3/25/2005)

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