Arabic News Weekly Edition for Morocco, 12/6/2004
Weekly Edition, Morocco - Week of December 6, 2004
- Moroccan rights organization: democracy should become daily life
The Moroccan league for the defense of human rights said "democracy should become part of citizens' daily life, intellectual convictions and cultural visions," deepening, thus, the principles of participation, accountability and freedom. Morocco, Politics, 12/11/2004 - Algeria's draft resolution on Sahara met with massive abstention at UN General Assembly
The massive abstention on Friday of an Algeria-sponsored draft resolution on the Sahara by the UN general assembly member states confirms that the Sahara issue is actually a Moroccan-Algerian bilateral conflict artificially created by Algeria to thwart Morocco's endeavors to perfect its territorial integrity. Algeria-Morocco, Politics, 12/11/2004 - Washington strongly supports Morocco's reforms and initiatives, Snow
The United States strongly support Morocco's reforms and initiatives, especially those pursuing the development of small and medium-sized enterprises and investment, said on Friday US treasury secretary John Snow. Morocco-USA, Politics, 12/11/2004 - King Mohammed VI holds phone talks with Tunisian president
King Mohammed VI on Friday held phone talks with Tunisian president, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, on latest development in the region and the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA). Morocco-Tunisia, Politics, 12/11/2004 - France: Sahara settlement only possible through political solution
French foreign minister, Michel Barnier, reiterated that France has been endeavouring with its partners and with the UNO to promote the idea that only a political solution that is accepted by all parties (to the Sahara issue) and based on the principle of "a large autonomy" can settle the Sahara issue. Morocco-France, Politics, 12/11/2004 - Forum for the Future: a non-constraining dialogue space, Moroccan government spokesman
The Forum for the Future, held in Rabat this Dec.10-11 is "a non-constraining space for dialogue that concerns all Arab states and most of Islamic countries," as well as the G-8, said in Rabat on Friday Moroccan communication minister and government spokesman Nabil Benabdellah. Morocco-Regional, Politics, 12/11/2004 - Morocco-Mauritania-Senegal sea line and Tangier-Dakar road to operate next year
A sea line servicing Casablanca, Nouadhibou (Mauritania) and Dakar and a road linking Morocco's northern city of Tangier to Dakar will operate next year, Morocco's ambassador in Sakara Moha Ouali Tagma, announced this Friday. Morocco-Regional, Economics, 12/11/2004 - NGO calls on UN SG to lift blockade on population sequestered in Tindouf
The Boujdour-based Al Amal Association for Legality and Territorial Integrity has called on the United Nations Secretary General to act for lifting the blockade imposed on Moroccans sequestered in Tindouf, southern Algeria. Morocco-UN, Politics, 12/10/2004 - Maroc Telecom IPO oversubscribed 18 times
The total amount of subscriptions at Maroc Telecom's initial public offer reached 164 billion MAD (over US$ 16 billion), 18 times the amount of the initial offer (9 billion DH or over US$ 900 million), privatisation and finance minister Fathallah Oualalou, announced on Thursday at a press conference. Morocco, Business, 12/10/2004 - Aberdeen to hold memorial service for Hicham Zerouali
Scottish club Aberdeen will hold a memorial service for its former Moroccan player Hicham Zerouali, 27, who died last Sunday in a car crash in Rabat, the British press reported on Thursday. Morocco, Sports, 12/10/2004 - Alan Parker: Marrakech Festival provides an alternative to US cinema industry
British filmmaker, Sir Alan Parker, said, here Thursday, that Marrakech International Film Festival provides an alternative to the domineering US film industry. Morocco-Regional, Local, 12/10/2004 - Victims of human rights breaches not to cite names at public hearings, IER chairman
Chairman of the Justice and Reconciliation Commission, "IER" a body set up last January to seek out-of court settlement of past human rights abuses in Morocco, said victims who will testify at public hearings will be totally free to express themselves but will not reveal names of persons they are accusing of being the authors of these violations. Morocco, Politics, 12/9/2004 - Marrakech Film Festival comes to maturity, Prince
The Marrakech International Film festival (IFFM) has come to maturity, according to the festival Chairman, Prince Moulay Rachid. Morocco, Politics, 12/9/2004 - Moroccans, Turks most-hardly hit by unemployment in Belgium, study
Moroccans and Turks living in Belgium are the most-hardly hit by unemployment, says a study conducted by the Antwerp university and the Belgian national institute of statistics. Morocco-Belgium, Local, 12/9/2004 - Vicente Fox: Moroccan King visit to Mexico a 'great success' Morocco-Mexico, Politics, 12/9/2004
- Morocco presents wind-generated electricity project for Clean development mechanism
Morocco will present at the 10th conference of parties to the UN framework Convention on climatic Changes, which opened Monday in Buenos Aires, a wind-generated electricity project in the southern Atlantic city of Essaouira, eligible for the Clean Development Mechanism. Morocco, Economics, 12/9/2004 - Morocco, Senegal set to reinforce private sectors' partnership Morocco-Senegal, Economics, 12/9/2004
- Sir Sean Connery receives Marrakech International Film Festival Award
British mega star and icon, Sir Sean Connery, received, here last night, the Marrakech International Film Festival Award that was handed to him by his friend, US actor Lawrence Fishburne. Morocco, Local, 12/9/2004 - King Mohammed VI receives representatives of religious, cultural and business circles in Argentina Morocco-Argentina, Politics, 12/8/2004
- Morocco, Argentina note 'great potential' in economic, trade cooperation
Morocco and Argentina have pledged to raise bilateral cooperation to the level of the "excellent political relations" noting the existence of a "great potential" in economic and trade cooperation that will benefit both countries. Morocco-Argentina, Politics, 12/8/2004 - King Mohammed VI receives chairman of MERCOSUR permanent delegates commission Morocco-Regional, Politics, 12/8/2004
- Moroccan PM starts official visit to India
Moroccan Prime Minister, Driss Jettou, arrived in New Delhi Monday on a three-day official visit, for talks with Indian officials mainly aimed at boosting bilateral trade. Morocco-India, Economics, 12/8/2004 - EC proposes opening negotiations with Morocco on Galileo navigation system
The European Commission on Tuesday proposed negotiating directives to the Council on the conclusion of a cooperation agreement with Morocco on the development of Galileo, a civil satellite navigation system. Morocco-European Union, Economics, 12/8/2004 - Judge sets Dec. 20 as next court date for former Guantanamo detainees
The Criminal Chamber at the Rabat Court of appeal has set December 20 as the next court day in the trial of five Moroccans who had formerly been held by the United States at its prison camp in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Morocco, Local, 12/8/2004 - Marrakech International Film Festival opens 4th edition
The 4th edition of the International Film Festival of Marrakech (Dec. 06-12) opened on Monday in the Palais des Congres. Morocco, Local, 12/8/2004 - Morocco's oil bill rises by 72.9 percent up to October 2004 Morocco, Economics, 12/8/2004
- Over 160 candidates to illegal immigration arrested in 5 days
Moroccan security services announced that 164 persons were arrested between Dec.1 and Dec.6 trying to gain access to Europe across the narrow Straits of Gibraltar which separates Africa an Europe, or through Spain's Canary Isles. Morocco, Local, 12/8/2004 - King visit to Buenos Aires opens wide perspectives for bilateral ties
Morocco and Argentina are braced to open broad perspectives in their bilateral ties during the official visit that King Mohammed VI is paying to Argentina since Friday at the invitation of president Nestor Kirchner, said Moroccan ambassador in Buenos Aires, Mohamed Maalainine. Morocco-Argentina, Politics, 12/7/2004 - 'Polisaro' currently isolated worldwide, former US official
The separatist movement "Polisario" is currently isolated and enjoys little support worldwide, according to former US assistant secretary of state, Robert Pelletreau. Morocco-USA, Politics, 12/7/2004 - Immigrants demonstrate against Racism in Corsica
Some 300 people took to the streets, Saturday in Sartène (in the French region of Corsica), to demonstrate against racism after several attacks targeted the North African community living in the island. Morocco-France, Local, 12/7/2004 - Moroccan youth department launches Free no-diploma universities
"Popular universities," a free of charge learning structure not leading to diplomas is a new creative initiative launched by the Moroccan secretariat of state for youth and sports to dispense "knowledge for knowledge." Morocco, Education, 12/7/2004 - Forum for the Future to help G8 contribute to MENA region development, minister
Moroccan minister-delegate for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Taib Fassi Fihri, said the "Forum for the Future," aims at setting tools that would help the most industrialized countries' group (G8) to contribute to the development process of the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA), and to introduce the necessary reforms. Regional-Morocco, Politics, 12/7/2004 - Morocco donates $ 400,000 to Senegal's association of blind people
Morocco has donated US$ 40,000 to the national Union of blind people in Senegal to support the association's project to revamp a training center for this category of people. Morocco-Senegal, Local, 12/7/2004 - King Mohammed VI visits Argentina Morocco-Argentina, Politics, 12/6/2004
- Amnesty International calls for swift legal action against authors of racist violence in Corsica
Amnesty International has called the French authorities to take swift legal action against perpetrators of new wave of racist violence against North Africans in the French region of Corsica. Morocco-France, Local, 12/6/2004 - Germany supports wind-generated energy plant in Morocco Morocco-Germany, Economics, 12/6/2004