On 30 July 2021, the Moroccan people celebrate the 22nd Anniversary of King Mohammed VI’s ascension to the throne of his glorious ancestors.
The celebration of Throne Day in Morocco is an occasion to renew the pledge of allegiance that has embodied the Kingdom of Morocco throughout history and the strong ties that unite the Moroccan people with their monarch as the commander of the faithful (Amir El Mu’minin) and the symbol of unity.
The Throne Day is indeed an annual moment for Morocco to enumerate numbers of achievements built steadily, with unfailing relevance and voluntarism that the Kingdom has reached over the past years, under His Majesty’s wise Leadership.
Tackling the COVID-19 Pandemic impact was at the hearth of Morocco’s concerns during the last year. In this regard, Morocco was among the world’s pioneers in vaccinating its population against COVID-19 and is now eager to start producing its own vaccines.
To this end, His Majesty King Mohammed VI presided over a ceremony on 5 July at the Royal Palace of Fez, during which he signed deals that will now allow Morocco to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines and other serums. This project will allow Morocco to produce the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as other key vaccines, so that the kingdom can become self-sufficient and a leading biotechnology platform on the Continent and in the world, within the fill and finish industry.
Regarding the vaccination campaign and in order to diversify its suppliers, Morocco fast-tracked COVID-19 vaccines with emergency approval from AstraZeneca made in India and South Korea, China’s Sinopharm, and Russia’s Sputnik. With these four vaccines, Morocco has ensured a diversity of supply that will allow the maximum number of doses to be brought in.
To facilitate the vaccination operation, a platform has been created to find out vaccination appointments, report an adverse event following vaccination, or download the vaccination certificate. Since the vaccination campaign started, Morocco has administered at least 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines so far, free of charge.
The renovation of the development model constitutes a new stage in the consolidation of the social project led by the Sovereign. In this regard, Morocco has adopted a new Development Model considered as a roadmap that outlines the main guidelines of development of the Kingdom in all areas for the next fifteen years.
It is also called upon to strengthen the attachment to the values of positive and active citizenship, as well as the feeling of belonging to a nation and the affirmation of the historical and cultural Moroccan personality, rich with its millennial history, its tradition of openness and its multiple components.
On the bilateral side, Morocco and Ethiopia are continuing gradually enriching and diversifying their bilateral cooperation. On 25 May, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Mr. Nasser Bourita held talks on May 25, 2021, by videoconference with the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Mr. Demeke Mekonnen Hassen.
They both noted with satisfaction the upward level of bilateral ties, particularly since the visit of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to Addis Ababa in 2016, and agreed to maintain this momentum in priority areas such as education, vocational training, infrastructure, agriculture, renewable energy and decentralized cooperation.
The two Ministers highlighted the crucial importance of the Morocco-Ethiopia Joint Cooperation Commission as a mechanism to advance the existing partnership and explore new areas of cooperation. They agreed to hold its first session at a mutually convenient date.
Meetings are also regularly organized between officials from the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (Masen) and the Ethiopian Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy in order to finalize the implementation of the Coalition for Sustainable Energy Access, jointly led by Morocco and Ethiopia, which promotes universal access to reliable, clean and affordable energy.
Morocco and Ethiopia have also established the bilateral business council, which is going to be chaired, from the Moroccan side by Mr. Saad Aouad, Co-founder, Chairman & Chief Investment Officer of “Capital 54”, a firm are involved in the manufacturing and distribution of medicines, beverages, food as well as home care and personal care products.
Morocco has also stared exchanging with the Ministry of Urban Development expertise exchange in the fields of construction and Urbanism, etc. and investment opportunities in this sector for the Moroccan private sector, which has recently expressed its interest and willingness in this regard.
Morocco is proud to establish a strong partnership in the field of Agriculture, mainly through the OCP Company, in the fertilizers supply and expertise sharing. His Majesty’s 2016 Visit to Ethiopia allowed the signature, among other, of an MoU to set a factory for fertilizers production, named Dire Dawa Fertilizer Complex. Aiming to be a model and perfect example of ambitious and mutually beneficial South-South cooperation, the plant is set to support Ethiopia reaching self-sufficiency in fertilizer production, with prospects of investing in its potential for exportation too.
There is enormous untapped potential for bilateral trade, investment and economic cooperation. In this regard, both countries are committed to further develop their economic partnership by creating a more favorable environment for mutual investment and encouraging the business communities of both countries to fully explore and take advantage of the opportunities offered by their expanding markets and developing infrastructure.
There is also a mutual engagement to intensify interaction and further harmonize positions in relevant multilateral institutions, such as the African Union and the United Nations. In this regard, the two countries agreed to coordinate and support each other’s candidacies in regional and international organizations, including Morocco’s bid for the position of non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the period 2028-2029, the chairmanship of the International Civil Service Commission and the post of Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation in the African Union, and Ethiopia’s candidacy for the UNIDO.
Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald
The Ethiopian Herald 29 July 2021
