The two teams thus get their first points, while Morocco leads the group with 6 units.

The Moroccan team had beaten South Africa (2-1) and Liberia (2-0), in the two previous games of this group which has only three teams.

South Africa and Liberia will meet on Tuesday in Monrovia.

The Moroccan team will play two other matches for this group, the first away to South Africa on June 12 and the second at home against Liberia on September 4.

This memorandum was signed by the Minister of Equipment and Water Nizar Baraka and the Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management Mark Harbers, on the sidelines of the United Nations Water Conference (22-24 March).

Considering the existing ties of friendship between the two countries and wishing to strengthen them further, the two parties undertake, under the memorandum, to develop bilateral cooperation in the field of water resources on the basis of the principles of equal rights, equity, respect for sovereignty and mutual benefit.

Under this agreement, the two countries intend to cooperate in the areas of water supply, collection and reclamation of rainwater, seawater desalination , demineralization of brackish water, treatment and reuse of treated wastewater, as well as the efficient water use.

Cooperation between the two parties will also focus on remote management of groundwater and water resources, reduction of water use in the context of industry, domestic consumption, climate-smart agriculture and horticulture, flood protection and governance.

The collection and management of information to support decision making and for national, regional and global statistical purposes are also among the goals of the memorandum.

Both countries agree that cooperation will be carried out through technical assistance, exchange of information and documentation, organization of training and capacity building sessions, participation in specialized international fairs and conferences organized in Morocco and the Netherlands, in addition to the transfer of technologies in the field of water.

The signatories agree on creating a technical committee for the development and planning of action plans, in accordance with the areas of cooperation set out in the memorandum.

Baraka leads the Moroccan delegation to the UN Water Conference, which is dedicated this year to the mid-term review of the implementation of the goals of the Water Action Decade 2018-2028, proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 2016.

On the sidelines of this conference, the Minister held a series of meetings with heads of delegation including the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Mali, Guinea, Chad, Senegal, Madagascar, Egypt, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

Speaking at a side event organized by the League of Arab States on the sidelines of the UN Water Conference (22-24 March), Baraka said that in Morocco, water management and climate change impacts are a national priority, reiterated in the speeches of HM King Mohammed VI.

He noted that the Sovereign has given His high guidance to continue efforts to mobilize conventional and non-conventional water resources, including through the desalination of seawater and the reuse of treated wastewater.

During this meeting on "the common commitment in the Arab region to accelerate the achievement of water security for sustainable development", the Minister also said that Morocco, as part of its national energy strategy, plans to develop the production of hydroelectric power as renewable energy.

The goal is to reach 14% of the renewable energy production mix, which represents 52% of total energy production by 2030, he said, noting that the Arab region has a strong potential to develop solar and wind energy.

Baraka leads the Moroccan delegation to the UN Water Conference, which is dedicated this year to the mid-term review of the implementation of the goals of the Water Action Decade 2018-2028, proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 2016.

During the plenary session of the conference, the Minister highlighted the main lines of Morocco's strategy for integrated water resources management. He stressed that the Kingdom, under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, has succeeded through its national policy to meet its water needs, thanks in particular to the infrastructure upgrading.

Diaz Cassou, who presented the WB's economic monitoring report on Morocco, 2022-2023 Winter edition, under the title "Morocco facing shocks", said that the Kingdom has "raised the interest rate twice since September 2022, by a total of 100 basis points."

Morocco's optimal monetary policy response will depend on the persistence of price pressures and the inflation forecasts’ evolution, he said, noting that "in such a complex context, the authorities may consider complementing anti-inflationary measures by introducing structural policies aimed at easing supply constraints.

"Such measures could include initiatives or actions to address existing bottlenecks in food markets, where the wide gap between producer and retail prices is not always justified by the value added created in the supply chain," he stressed.

The report, released on February 14, 2023, said Morocco's economic growth is expected to accelerate to 3.1 percent in 2023, thanks to a rebound in the primary sector, noting that real GDP growth has fallen from 7.9 percent in 2021 to an estimated 1.2 percent in 2022, while the current account deficit has increased from 2.3 percent to 4.1 percent of GDP. 

The "Ramadan 1444" operation is an annual event organized by the Foundation for 24 years on the occasion of the advent of this blessed month, thus embodying the values of solidarity and mutual aid carried by His Majesty the King in favor of people in vulnerable situations, she explained in a statement to the press on the occasion of the launch, Friday, of this solidarity operation.

It is characterized this year by the increase in the number of beneficiaries, which rose from 600,000 households in the previous edition to one million households, nearly 5 million people, she added, noting that the composition of food aid has also been enriched by new products with high consumption during the holy month of Ramadan.

The national operation of food support has, since its inception in 1998, mobilized a total budget of nearly 2 billion dirhams, with a number of beneficiary families that has increased from 34,100 in 1998 to one million this year.

This edition is marked by two major facts, added Dardikh, stating that following the High Instructions of HM King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, the number of beneficiaries has been increased from 600,000 to one million households.

Similarly, she added, the content of the food basket has been enriched with the addition of two food products.

His Majesty the King launched Friday in Sidi Moussa, Lamrissa district in Salé, to the national operation "Ramadan 1444", initiated by the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan and benefiting nearly 5 million people.

Four defendants were arrested during operations conducted simultaneously in several douars (small villages) under the rural municipalities of "Mkaress" and "Khmiss Mtouh" near the city of El Jadida, said the same source, noting that these operations resulted in the seizure of 270 kg of cannabis stems, 2800 g of cannabis resin (locally known as chira), as well as 160 g of pure cocaine.

The searches, conducted in this case, have also allowed to seize a shotgun and cartridges, two cars and several national and foreign license plates, whose legal references and origin are being verified, in addition to a batch of cell phones, weapons and money suspected of coming from the sale of these drugs and alcoholic beverages, the same source added.

The fifth defendant, arrested in the rural town of "Khmiss Mtouh", is suspected of preparing a workshop for brandy distillation, the same source said, adding that it was also seized three tons of this substance for sale, in addition to equipment and gas cylinders used in this criminal activity.

The accused have been placed in custody for the purposes of the judicial investigation conducted under the supervision of the prosecutor's office in order to reveal the ins and outs of this case, and to determine all the criminal acts they are accused, according to the same source.

This operation, which blows its 24th candle this year, has become over time an annual occasion that has taken a significant place in Morocco as a major event aimed primarily at anchoring the action of solidarity as a behavior and culture, but also to mitigate the financial burden on the poor during this blessed month.

It is an action of generosity, which, like the previous operations, consists in bringing an endowment of food products to people living in precarious situations, especially widows, the elderly and people with disabilities.

This year, the Ramadan operation, which mobilized 390 million dirhams, is distinguished by the increase, in accordance with the High Royal Instructions, of the number of beneficiaries, but also of the number of products that compose this food aid.

Indeed, they are one million households, or about 5 million people, living in 83 provinces and prefectures of the Kingdom, which will benefit from the "Ramadan 1444" operation, against 600,000 households in the previous edition.

These people, 77% of whom live in rural areas, will also benefit this year from a food aid whose composition has been enriched by new products, including rice and milk.

It now includes nine products: 10 kg of flour, 5 liters of cooking oil, 4 kg of sugar, 1 kg of lentils, 1 kg of vermicelli, 850 gr of tomato paste, 850 gr of tea, 6 liters of UHT milk and 5 kg of rice.

Initiated by the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity, this operation is part of a medical-humanitarian program, which covers a broad spectrum of commitments, including the improvement of health services for the benefit of poor and isolated populations, food support, socio-medical support, field support and emergency humanitarian assistance.

This humanitarian program based on the principles of mutual aid, mobilization and proximity, includes, in addition to Operation Ramadan, the organization of mobile medical caravans, the reception of Moroccans residing abroad (Operation Marhaba), as well as the assistance of households from isolated villages and mountainous areas "Operation Cold Weather".

The implementation of this operation, initiated in partnership with the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Endowment and Islamic Affairs, is strictly monitored by two operational committees, one local and the other provincial, which monitor the supply of distribution centers, the identification of beneficiaries and the distribution of foodstuffs in the field.

Similarly, quality and performance controls are carried out upstream of the operation via the quality control of food products carried out by the National Office of Food Safety.

The Professional Grouping of Banks in Morocco and the General Treasury of the Kingdom also assist the Foundation by contributing to the control of the operation's financial aspects.

The Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity, under the impetus of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, is multiplying its initiatives to fight against all forms of precariousness and poverty, being aware that a global development cannot be achieved while some segments of society do not enjoy the conditions of a dignified life.

Concerning vaccination, the Ministry revealed that 24,921,923 people have received at least one shot, 23,423,613 have received the second dose. Of these, 6,882,583 people have received the third injection and 60,658 had four doses.

The weekly bulletin brings the total number of infections, since the first case was reported, to 1,272,622, the weekly positivity rate standing at 2.7%.

This week's new infections were reported in the regions of Rabat-Salé-Kenitra (17), Casablanca-Settat (10), Fez-Meknes (4), Souss-Massa (3), Marrakech-Safi (2) and Guelmim-Oued Noun (1).

The total number of deaths remains at 16,296, as no cases were recorded last week.

The number of active cases has decreased to 49, with no severe or critical cases having been recorded in the past seven days.

The Moroccan minister's statements were uttered during a side event on the role of Arab cooperation in supporting the water sector in the State of Palestine, organized on the sidelines of the UN Water Conference (22-24 March).

On this occasion, Baraka said that HM King Mohammed VI has given His High Guidance for the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on strengthening cooperation between Morocco and Palestine in the field of water resources, signed in 2015.

This cooperation also concerns the management of water resources and the development of the exchange of expertise between the two parties and the establishment of a mutually beneficial cooperation in the short, medium and long term.

The minister noted that it is time to implement this memorandum through an action plan to be signed between the two countries. On Wednesday, Baraka held talks with the President of the Palestinian Water Authority, Mazen Ghunaim, focusing on this action plan.

Referring to sustainable development in the Arab region, the Minister stressed Morocco's desire to strengthen joint cooperation through the exchange of expertise and the development of national capacities in the management of water resources.

Baraka is leading the Moroccan delegation to this international conference, which focuses on the mid-term review of the implementation of the goals of the Decade of Action for Water 2018-2028, proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 2016.

During the plenary session of the conference, the Minister presented the strategy implemented by Morocco in the field of integrated water resources management.

In particular, he stressed that Morocco, under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, has been able to meet its water needs through its national policy, thanks in particular to the development of infrastructure.