Current events in Morocco are promising, says US ambassador
Morocco, Politics, 11/20/1998

There is something happening in Morocco that is promising and important to the Mediterranean region, to Europe, and to America on this eve of the 21st century, said US ambassador to Moroccco, Edward Gabriel.

Addressing a conference held early this month in Madrid on "Morocco, the Mediterranean, the United States and Europe on the eve of the 21st century," the diplomat described Morocco as one of America's "oldest and most reliable friends in the Arab world, and an example of moderation and responsibility in international affairs." He went on the issue under discussion "involves the southern flank of NATO..., relations between Islam and the west..."

For the US ambassador, Morocco has embarked on "a cutting-edge experiment in the Arab world to consolidate democratic and market reform through consensual and progressive change. The issue, he added is the "ability of America and Europe to support this experiment."

Gabriel cited in this regard the ongoing "course of democratic and market reform" represented by the fact that "Morocco is governed by a coalition of political parties and leaders who had been in opposition since Morocco regained its independence from France in 1956 and is now in solidarity with His Majesty King Hassan II."

"The Youssoufi government's program aims to broaden and deepen popular participation in government, and to advance transparency, the rule of law, and respect for human rights. It aims to reduce the gap between rich and poor- without spending beyond Morocco's means or triggering inflation. It aims to consolidate free market competition as the engine of economic growth, and to further integrate Morocco in the world economy," the ambassador said.

The U.S diplomat added that the new Moroccan government aims to maintain Morocco's strategic partnership with the European Union, but also to strengthen its longstanding ties to the United States.

Describing the Youssoufi government political and economic program as "revolutionary in many ways," the diplomat said this program "reflects a longstanding Moroccan choice to build a future which is true to Morocco's cultural and religious roots, but also open to and integrated with the western world. The program "stems from constitutional and electoral reforms initiated in the early 1990's by the king, whose authority and legitimacy to both reign and rule is deeply rooted in Moroccan history and society," Gabriel stated further.

He also pointed out that the program "builds on steady record of Moroccan financial and structural reform initiated in the mid 80's" and "reflects the emergence of a vibrant and forward-looking Moroccan civil society and a broad popular consensus for reform."

After he underlined that the old ways of governing and doing business in Morocco -even after a decade of partial reform- were not effective enough to launch Morocco into the 21 century, the U.S diplomat said the Youssoufi government needs to double economic growth to over 6 percent a year in order to reduce high poverty and unemployment rates, ease significant social pressures, and redress widespread illiteracy.

Gabriel went on "that this new Moroccan government has what it takes- the vision, the will, the popular support, and the backing of the king- to narrow the gap between rich and poor, to create the conditions for Morocco's economic take off, and to make meaningful progress on democracy and human rights."

"This experiment thus holds enormous promise for Morocco to advance democratically as a stable, free-market and socio-economically state," he said, adding "its success will make Morocco a model of peaceful change for the southern shore of the Mediterranean and the Arab world, a stable and prosperous partner for Europe and America, and a channel of integration between Islam and the West."

The ambassador further recalled a US offer proposed last summer, by under secretary for economic affairs Stu Eizenstat who visited Morocco and Tunisia to build a U.S.-North Africa economic partnership with Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.

This proposed economic partnership is private sector driven and has four elements: enhanced high-level dialogue, accelerated structural reforms within each country, a greater role for the private sector, and the knocking down of intra-regional barriers to trade and investment.

A basic promise of this proposed economic partnership is that the U.S. government will support efforts by Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia to improve the climate for trade and investment, by doing more to market the North African region to U.S. investors.

There are indeed ways in which America and Europe could better work together to advance our shared interest in prosperity, stability and democracy in Morocco and North Africa, he said.

The US ambassador called Europeans to consider the US their ally in this cause and said the U.S. Congress should "remember that both Morocco and Europe need our engagement in North Africa now, when the time is right, when U.S. engagement can help make the difference between success and failure."

Previous Stories:
  Morocco takes measures to reform civil service, fight corruption   (11/5/1998)
  Morocco sets up administrative reform commission   (11/3/1998)
  Future laws announced to update local councils structures and powers   (10/20/1998)

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