Mexico's first lady impressed by social evolutions in Morocco

Mexico's first lady, Marta Sahagun de Fox, who accompanied her husband during his official visit to Morocco this Feb.11-12, said she was impressed by social evolutions in Morocco, particularly women's access to political life and the deep changes in political life ushered by King Mohammed VI.

I am very happy and satisfied with the future of Morocco, she said in an interview with "Le Matin du Sahara et du Maghreb," pointing out to improvements in the women's condition, after the adoption of a new family code, and the reconciliation process over past human rights abuses.

Elaborating on Morocco's experience to hold hearings of victims of human rights abuses in the kingdom, she explained that "these events that took place in the past are a reality and it is interesting for a country to open a reconciliation process to integrate and respect human rights." She also stressed that the Moroccan sovereign is attaching utmost importance to the respect of persons. These "painful" past pages, she went on, should serve as a lesson so as these event do not recur.

She also stressed that the first state visit by a Mexican president to Morocco, following the Moroccan king's visit to Mexico some months ago, has a special importance for Mexicans.

This means, she told the Moroccan newspaper, that the two countries should be reinforcing both their political and economic ties.