King Mohammed appoints new ambassadors to some European countries

King Mohammed VI on Thursday appointed Hassan Abouyoub as Morocco's new ambassador to France in replacement of Mohamed Berrada who has been holding the post since 1994.

Abouyoub, 47, a former minister of foreign trade, tourism and agriculture, had applied in 1998 for the post of director general of the World Trade Organization. Morocco unilaterally decided to withdraw the candidacy of Hassan Abouyoub to the post in March 1999 after it said that the conditions of transparency and fairness that were to lead to a democratic consensus were not gathered.

Besides Abouyoub, the sovereign appointed four other new ambassadors, namely Noureddine Benomar to the Netherlands, Abdelaadim El-Hafi to Germany, Aziz Mekouar to Italy and Mrs Aziza Bennani as ambassador, permanent representative of Morocco to the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Literature professor Aziza Bennani, 56, is the first Moroccan female to be appointed as ambassador for three decades

Former dean of the college of arts and humanities of the Mohammadia University, Bennani also served as secretary of state in charge of disabled persons in 1997.