In an article titled "Morocco Emerges as a Pivotal Hub in the Geopolitics of Electric Vehicles", the specialized media outlet highlights the growing influx of investments in Morocco and the increasing number of foreign companies establishing a significant presence to supply Western markets.

Movilidad Eléctrica provides the example of the Chinese company CNGR Advanced Material, a global leader in manufacturing battery components for electric vehicles. This company is planning to construct an industrial complex in Morocco, with an investment of nearly $2 billion. The same source added that the Chinese group aims to produce materials for equipping over a million electric vehicles annually.

The media also reports recent investments in battery components for electric cars, such as South Korea's LG Chem, which has announced the establishment of two plants in Morocco for the production of LFP cathodes and lithium conversion. These components are essential in battery manufacturing for electric vehicles.

Highlighting Morocco's advantages in terms of natural resources, the Spanish portal mentions that Moroccan companies can leverage access to significant natural resources, including abundant phosphate reserves, which account for more than 70% of the world's volume.

The article also notes Morocco's potential for cobalt production and its partnership with the Swiss mining giant Glencore in battery recycling activities.

Another advantage, according to the Spanish magazine, is that electric vehicle companies establishing factories in Morocco benefit from the free trade agreement between Rabat and Washington.

The MoU, signed by the Minister of Health and Social Protection, Khalid Ait Taleb, and his Djiboutian counterpart, Ahmed Robleh Abdilleh, aims to establish strong and lasting relations between the various components of the two countries' health systems. 

Driven by a spirit of South-South cooperation, these relations seek to develop research, expertise, and training activities designed to strengthen the healthcare systems of both countries. They also aim to offer ongoing education and skills development to students, managers, teachers, and researchers. 

Ait Taleb stated that the signing of this MoU strengthens and enriches the existing partnership between Morocco and Djibouti, particularly in terms of healthcare structures and training. He also noted that the partnership is scheduled to take effect in October. 

Following his condolences to the Moroccan people following the Al Haouz earthquake, Robleh emphasized that his visit aimed to strengthen collaboration between the two Ministries of Health. 

The MoU includes the twinning of the University Hospital Centers (CHU) of Rabat and Djibouti through a technical partnership for the training of doctors, specialists, and paramedics, as well as the exchange of experience between Moroccan experts and their Djiboutian counterparts.

"The unceasing support of His Majesty the King and the great commitment of the leaders of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), who are always focused on success, led us to believe that the members of CAF would have no doubts, when it came to voting, in unanimously choosing the Kingdom of Morocco to organize this important continental soccer competition," wrote the newspaper.

Under the headline "CAF chooses Morocco to organize AFCON 2025", Jornal De Angola underscored that the quality of Morocco's sports and hotel infrastructure convinced the leaders of the Confederation's Executive Committee to unanimously award Morocco the organization of the 35th edition of the African Nations Championship.

The newspaper emphasizes that Morocco's sports infrastructure was highly appreciated, even by FIFA directors, due to its quality, not to mention the excellent roads throughout the Kingdom.

Similarly, the newspaper echoed the words of FIFA President Giovanni Infantino, who hailed Morocco's potential in the field of sports and its strong candidacy to host AFCON 2025.

"Morocco is a great country not only in football but also in the organization of major events," he said.

In this context, the Angolan media outlet recalled that seven months ago, Morocco opened its doors to the continent as part of the Media Tour, a journalistic and tourism project that brought 162 journalists from several African countries, including Angola, to the Kingdom. The aim was to showcase the country's ability to organize major international competitions.

The media representatives witnessed stadiums in good condition, quality hotels, modern transportation, tourism opportunities, medical facilities, and well-maintained roads that will enable supporters, tourists, and participating teams to move around seamlessly.

Noting that Morocco has several world-class stadiums to host the games of the 35th edition of the continental competition, the media reported that AFCON 2025 will be played in six Moroccan cities: Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech, Fez, Tangier, and Agadir.

"All six stadiums have been built to modern standards and meet FIFA requirements, making them capable of hosting any type of official competition, including AFCON, World Cup, and Olympic Games," the newspaper praised.

“Religious tolerance is a hallmark of Morocco’s history — from its welcoming of refugees fleeing the Iberian Peninsula at the end of the 15th century to late King Mohammed V’s efforts to protect Jews during World War II,” says the report released by the Office of the US Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism.

The document underlines the role of Bay Dakira, noting that the goal of this space is “to help preserve Morocco’s ancient Jewish heritage by revitalizing a historic synagogue, signifying the country’s goodwill toward its Jewish population.”

“The site serves as a symbol of Morocco’s commitment to multiculturalism and the preservation of its rich Jewish heritage,” the report stresses.

The document also underlines the importance of the action of the Mimouna Association, saying that this NGO “seeks to expand awareness among Moroccan youth regarding the rich Jewish cultural history that has existed in the country for thousands of years.”

“Mimouna was created by a group of young Muslim students that aspired to promote and preserve Moroccan Jewish heritage,” the report points out, adding that “the bulk of Mimouna’s operations are centered around educational programs that elevate interfaith dialogue and encourage cultural pluralism in Morocco.”

The US report identifies more than 40 programs, policies, and actions from around the world that counter antisemitism.

    
Madrid, 29/09/2023 -(MAP)- The unanimous designation of Morocco to host the African Cup of Nations (AFCON-2025) is "an excellent boost" for the tripartite Morocco-Spain-Portugal bid to host the 2030 World Cup and a "great source of joy for all friends of Morocco," emphasized the Andalusia-Morocco friendship association "Forum Ibn Rochd".

"We would like to express our joy at Morocco's victory, designated by the Executive Committee of the Confederation of African Football to host AFCON 2025, the most important football tournament on the continent," the association stated in a press release.

The same source then highlighted that Morocco's "well-deserved" selection is not a coincidence but the result of a combination of factors, including a "bold and coherent" state policy in this area, "massive and indisputable public support" for sports, both men's and women's, particularly football, and a "very high level in terms of quality and quantity of top-level athletes and international football stars," as evidenced from its Olympic medals as well as the "outstanding performance" of the national team at the World Cup in Qatar.

"In Andalusia, we are aware of this because we are privileged to have some of the greatest figures in Moroccan football in our teams," said the association.

"Morocco's triumph in hosting AFCON-2025 will be an excellent point of support for our countries, Spain and Morocco, along with Portugal, in their bid to host the 2030 Football World Cup, symbolizing the profound twinning between our cultures, our societies, and our continents," concluded the same source.

The arrangement will support Morocco’s transition to a greener economy and help strengthen its preparedness and resilience against natural disasters, including from climate change, the Washington-based institution pointed out in a release.

The 18-months arrangement "will help Morocco address climate vulnerabilities, bolster its resilience against climate change, and seize the opportunities from decarbonization", the financial institution underlined.

"It would also help the Moroccan authorities strengthen preparedness for natural catastrophes and stimulate financing for sustainable development", it said.

"The IMF concluded a staff-level agreement with Morocco to provide $1.3 billion in financing over the long term" so that the Kingdom can build more strength to face disasters in the future that may take place because of the climate crisis, the IMF Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, had told the Moroccan news agency.

The IMF chief noted that climate change is among the main challenges facing the international community.

"Beyond the world powers, the electric mobility revolution also involves Morocco, rich in mineral resources and renewable energies," writes the prominent geopolitical magazine Formiche, emphasizing the Kingdom's "globally competitive" potential in cobalt and phosphate.

The media outlet points out that Morocco possesses 70% of the world's rock phosphate reserves, and its cobalt reserves rank eleventh. Access to renewable energies is also noted as a "stimulating" factor for foreign investors.

According to the magazine, the abundant availability of materials, combined with the potential for using renewable energies, positions Morocco as an ideal platform for focusing on LFP (lithium iron phosphate) materials. These materials can offer a cost advantage of 70% per kilogram over traditional NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt) materials and reduce the risk of toxicity due to the presence of elements like manganese oxide.

Highlighting Morocco's determination to become a manufacturing hub for electric batteries, the publication notes that Rabat's goal is to increase materials production to support the capacity for 1 million vehicles (both thermal and electric) by 2025, compared to the current 700,000.

For its part, Start Magazine underscores Morocco's advantageous geographic and geopolitical positioning, which can serve as a manufacturing base for companies interested in exporting to the United States, thanks to the free trade agreement between Rabat and Washington. The Kingdom also maintains strong trade relations with Europe and offers strategic geographic proximity, along with its "enormous" potential for phosphate, a key ingredient for LFP batteries, known for their cost-effectiveness compared to traditional batteries.

The media reports on the interest from foreign investors, particularly from Asia, including the recent announcement by South Korea's LG Chem, in collaboration with China's Huayou, to establish two plants in Morocco for the production of LFP cathodes and lithium conversion, essential components in the manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles.

The electronic media outlet Internazionale.it adds that other South Korean and Chinese investors in the sector of minerals essential for the ecological transition and the battery supply chain are also expressing enthusiasm for Morocco.

"In the global reconfiguration brought about by the ecological transition and geopolitical shifts, one country is emerging as a success story: Morocco," comments the media.

"Injured last week in the European Cup, Zakaria Aboukhlal (23) had a successful operation. However, our striker will probably be unavailable until the end of the season," stated the club's on their X (formerly Twitter) account.

At the beginning of the season, the Moroccan international, who has earned 21 caps and scored 3 goals for his country, had made a notable impact with three goals, making him the top scorer for Les Violets. The club emphasized on its website that Aboukhlal's injury is a significant setback for the team.

The Moroccan international is "not expected to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled to be held in Côte d'Ivoire on January 13, 2024," according to the same source.

"In compliance with the High Royal Directives, the health sector is currently undergoing an innovative reform process that will enable it to establish a robust health system, with strategic institutions capable of efficiently and resiliently addressing current and future challenges," said Akhannouch at the official opening ceremony of the 2nd African Conference on Health Risk Reduction.

In this regard, he emphasized that the achievements made under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic have bolstered the resilience of the national health system in the face of health crises. The coordinated efforts of various departments and partners have enabled more effective and efficient management of these crises.

The Head of Government underscored the importance of this year's event theme, "Health in Africa: Water, Environment, and Food Security", highlighting the close relationship between these three elements and the health and well-being of African populations. He stressed the necessity of pooling efforts and taking collective action to strengthen health and environmental security in Africa.

Water, the environment, and food security face significant challenges, especially in the current context marked by the adverse consequences of environmental degradation on the health of Africans and the planet, the government chief noted. He added that the prevention of health risks is vital in reducing illnesses and deaths resulting from environmental degradation, water quality issues, and malnutrition. This strategy also helps alleviate the burden on the healthcare system and the economic strain on families, health insurance institutions, and state resources.

Given the environmental and climatic challenges worldwide, Akhannouch emphasized the importance of transforming food systems and agri-food value chains to enhance sustainability and resilience, ensuring the country's food security. Water security is a crucial prerequisite for achieving food sovereignty, especially as Morocco has been grappling with an exceptional drought for over five years due to climate change. This has placed increased pressure on food systems, making them more vulnerable to economic and environmental shocks.

Akhannouch mentioned the government's increased investment in the National Program for Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation 2020-2027 and noted that the Executive is developing a new vision to establish a strategic water reserve through this program, supporting the country's food sovereignty.

He also highlighted Morocco's efforts to ensure a consistent supply of essential food items to the national market, double the gross domestic product of agriculture, and improve the living conditions of farmers, while prioritizing the protection of citizens' health and food product safety through various institutions, including the National Office for Food Safety.

This international conference, placed under the High Patronage of HM King Mohammed VI, aims to shed light on the reality of health and food safety systems in Africa. It seeks to develop a common African framework based on country experiences and expert opinions in the field of public health. Additionally, it aims to discuss effective measures for preventing and mitigating the humanitarian, social, political, and economic effects of health crises.

Speaking at a panel organized as part of the 2nd African Conference on Health Risk Reduction, with the theme "Risk Reduction and Tomorrow's Ecosystems: The African Equation and South-South Cooperation", Ait Taleb underscored that health is a central concern that will soon face significant challenges. He noted that risk reduction is a multidisciplinary endeavor, requiring alignment among various public policies.

These challenges, including the various mutations observed in the field, particularly those associated with technological advancements, have repercussions on the scope and cost of healthcare. Ait Taleb explained that no health insurance or public financing in the future will be able to fully cover healthcare expenses.

Technology is transforming the healthcare profession, he added, highlighting that future medicine will be personalized and will rely more on genomics and metabolomics, hence the importance of a shared vision and resilience in the face of health risks.

In this regard, the Minister argued that the African continent must take proactive measures, foster greater convergence, and become a trailblazer in social protection to mitigate such challenges, stating that "Africa's time has come."

Placed under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, this three-day conference is organized at the initiative of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fishing, Rural Development, and Water and Forests, in collaboration with the African Global Health (AGH) association.

The program includes a series of roundtable discussions focusing on natural disasters, food security, global warming, and natural resources and their exploitation.