"Under His Majesty King Mohammed the Sixth’s leadership, Morocco is encouraging reforms to empower women and youth, reflecting our shared priorities", said Mrs Biden in a statement issued Sunday by the White House.

The United States is grateful for its "longstanding partnership and friendship with Morocco", she pointed out.

The US First Lady recalled that she was "graciously" received at her arrival Saturday in Marrakech by HRH Princess Lalla Hasnaa.

"And as we were getting to know each other, she told me about her work to educate children and young people about the importance of protecting our climate", said Mrs Biden, adding that she was "inspired by her passion". 

"I’m excited to take her story back to the United States, to look for more opportunities to learn from each other", she added.

The US First Lady, accompanied by her daughter Ashley Biden and her sister Bobby Jacobs, arrived in Marrakech on Saturday afternoon for a visit to Morocco.

Her visit to the Kingdom is part a tour in the Middle East, North Africa and Europe with the aim of promoting the conditions of women and youth around the world, particularly in terms of education, health and empowerment

The visit of the US First Lady to Morocco is the second following that of 2014, when Mrs. Biden accompanied president Joe Biden, then vice president of the Obama administration, during his participation in the 5th edition of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) held in November in Marrakech.

Morocco has always been a prime destination for US First Ladies.

This enthusiasm for the Kingdom, a land of welcome and hospitality, demonstrates the standing Morocco enjoys among senior American officials, and underscores the solidity of the long-standing strategic partnership between Morocco and the United States under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.

On her arrival at the Association's headquarters, the First Lady of the United States of America was welcomed by AEFE President Zakia Mrini, U.S. Ambassador to Rabat Puneet Talwar and his wife Sattar Sarash, in addition to U.S. Consul General in Casablanca Lawrence Randolph.

Jill Biden then toured the various facilities of this structure, which has received funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

On this occasion, the First Lady of the United States was given explanations on the role and missions of this association, with a focus on the many activities organized by AEFE.

In a special address, Jill Biden welcomed the "longstanding partnership and friendship" with Morocco, saying that "under His Majesty King Mohammed the Sixth’s leadership, Morocco is encouraging reforms to empower women and youth, reflecting our shared priorities."

The First Lady of the United States also said she was inspired by HRH Princess Lalla Hasnaa's efforts to raise awareness among children and young people of the importance of preserving the environment.

"I was inspired by her passion and I’m excited to take her story back to the United States, to look for more opportunities to learn from each other."

At the same time, Jill Biden met with women who have benefited from the various vocational training programs provided by the Ennakhil Association, and visited an exhibition area featuring some of the products made by these women, including local produce, cosmetics and embroidery and sewing items.

On this occasion, the women presented Jill Biden with a traditional dress, before posing for a souvenir photo.

Founded in 1997, the Ennakhil Association is an NGO whose missions include defending women's rights through a listening center dedicated to combating gender-based violence, and vocational training for women in vulnerable situations.

In 1998, it set up the first listening center for women victims of gender-based violence outside the Rabat and Casablanca regions. Since then, the Association has provided counseling to over 19,000 women and over 2,000 children who have been victims of violence.

It has also supported around 2,000 cases of victims of gender-based violence before the courts, in collaboration with a host of players, including the relevant authorities, the judicial system, health services and the media.

In September 2016, USAID Morocco allocated a budget of $500,000 to the Ennakhil Association through the Local Works Fund. This funding has enabled the Association to expand its work as an "Intermediary Support Organization" that mentors other civil society organizations, and collaborates effectively with government authorities on behalf of citizens.

Through this program, the Ennakhil Association has trained 30 partner civil society organizations in organizational and technical practices, as well as in the defense of citizens' rights.

In July 2020, USAID Morocco granted the Association Ennakhil additional funding of over $320,000 as part of the fight against COVID-19, to address cases of gender-based violence in the Marrakech-Safi region.

Thanks to this funding, the Association has set up a solidarity restaurant and a training center for women victims of such violence. It has also developed an online platform to provide virtual support to these victims and their families.

Upon her arrival, the first lady of the United States of America was welcomed by the Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, the Wali of the Marrakech-Safi region and Governor of the Marrakesh Prefecture, Karim Kassi-Lahlou, the President of the Marrakesh Municipal Council, Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, and the President of the Regional Council, Samir Koudar.

During her visit to the various rooms of this historical and educational institution, the First Lady of the United States received explanations on this historical and architectural site of rare beauty, witness to a brilliant stage of the Kingdom's secular history.

Jill Biden was also briefed on the role and missions of this building as a center for Islamic education and learning, focusing mainly on Quranic studies and Islamic sciences.

The Ben Youssef Madrasa, whose architecture is a perfect illustration of Moroccan and Andalusian know-how, had served as a theological faculty and welcomed students from different regions of North Africa and elsewhere.

Founded in 1565 during the reign of the Saadid dynasty by Sultan Abdellah Al-Ghalib, the Madrasa was named after the Merinid Sultan Abu Al Hassan Ali Ibn Othman, also known as Ben Youssef, who reigned at the beginning of the 14th century.

In order to preserve and enhance this cultural and civilizational site rich in history, His Majesty King Mohammed VI had launched in 2017 the restoration works of the Madrasa, which, once completed, have greatly contributed to the enhancement of this emblematic monument.

The investiture ceremony was held at the Presidential Complex in Ankara in the presence of heads of state, government representatives, legislative institutions and international organizations. His Majesty the King's Ambassador to Türkiye Mohamed Ali Lazrak also attended the inauguration.

Earlier in the day, President Erdoğan took the constitutional oath at the Turkish Parliament, marking the official start of his third presidential term, after receiving the inauguration document from the Speaker of Parliament.

After taking the constitutional oath, the head of state visited the mausoleum of the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, before proceeding to the Presidential Complex to attend the inauguration ceremony.

As Erdoğan's convoy arrived at the Presidential Complex, 101 cannon shots were fired to mark the ceremony, in which the Presidential Symphony Orchestra, the Turkish Traditional Music Ensemble and the Military Music Orchestra of the Turkish Armed Forces took part.

At the end of the ceremony, President Erdoğan will host a reception in honor of the guests at Çankaya Palace.

On Thursday, the Supreme Election Board announced the final results of the second round of the May 28 presidential election, which showed that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was re-elected with 52.18 percent of the vote.

According to the security source, the police seized a shipment of psychotropic tablets that was carefully concealed in the spare wheel of the vehicle, and arrested the 42-year-old driver.

The suspect, a Moroccan national, has been placed under the judicial investigation carried out by Nador's judicial police, under the supervision of the competent public prosecutor's office, in order to determine further ramifications of this criminal activity.

"The Spain-Morocco permanent group on migration [...] is an institutional framework that [...] has formed the permanent basis of an exceptional partnership on migration between the two countries," Castro Fernández told MAP.

This statement is "supported by concrete actions that make it [the Morocco-Spain partnership] today a model of North-South cooperation," she further noted on the sidelines of the 21st meeting of the Group, which took place on Friday in Madrid.

In this regard, the Spanish official voiced her wish to see this "successful" experience "extended to other countries," noting that Rabat and Madrid "are committed to continuing this experience with a global approach that reconciles multiple dimensions and contributes to jointly addressing and managing migratory flows from a human and security perspective."

Castro Fernández, who welcomed the "success" of this group, maintained that both parties are determined to "increase circular migration projects, strengthen cooperation in surveillance, and expand integration policies and the fight against racism and xenophobia."

The newspaper notes that Morocco's ambition is to become the most important technological center in Africa and a gateway to the continent, adding that the creation of GITEX Africa responds to the Kingdom's desire to achieve this ambition.

"Through this event, Morocco aims to bring together technology giants, start-ups, investors, governments and academics to create joint initiatives," the newspaper continues, adding that the Kingdom also attaches great importance to the fact that its initiatives must take place on its soil.

"Human capital is one of the country's most powerful resources, with around 12,000 engineers and between 10,000 and 12,000 technicians graduating every year, which represents a significant human resource," he stressed.

"If these resources are invested and properly targeted, significant achievements can be made for Morocco in the digital field, and the Kingdom will become a hub in North Africa and Africa in general, which will contribute to the development of its economy," the Israeli daily said.

The Moroccan officials' statement came in response to European Parliament (EP) President Roberta Metsola's letter noting "a common will to ensure in all circumstances the continuation of dialogue between our respective legislative institutions, in the interest, well understood, of the strategic partnership between Morocco and the EU."

"This unique partnership commits us to act with respect and determination in favor of the development of relations between the political formations that make up our nations, through the institutions that emanate from them - the Moroccan Parliament and the European Parliament," they pointed out in this missive.

Pointing out that both Morocco and the EU countries have developed a positive agenda and pioneering joint actions, both bilaterally and in concertation in multilateral forums, Talbi El Alami and Mayara specified that the partnership between the Kingdom and the EU is enriched by these achievements. "It is our responsibility to do everything in our power to preserve them."

After having recalled that the resolution of January 19 and subsequent developments have had a profound impact on the image of the European Parliament among all the living forces of the Moroccan Nation, they stressed that they had been surprised, "while we thought we saw in your letter a potential for dialogue", by the unfair positions adopted in the draft of the report on "foreign interference in all democratic processes of the European Union; including disinformation", established on May 15, 2023 by the Special Committee on "Interference and Disinformation and on Strengthening Integrity" (ING2) in the European Parliament.

"As you know, this draft will be put to a vote at the next plenary session of the European Parliament. Judging by its inquisitorial content and hostile recommendations, this draft, if adopted, will damage any positive prospects between our two institutions," warned the presidents of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors.

In view of this, "we call upon the sense of responsibility expressed in your letter, and invite you to give effect to your decision to appoint the European component of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, so that this committee - through its Moroccan and European co-chairs - can meet immediately and quickly agree on a favorable outcome."

Talbi El Alami and Mayara pointed out that "if our partnership is intended to overcome difficult issues, it must be noted that what we find all too often in the remarks and documents issued by the European Parliament with regard to Morocco goes beyond the scope of constructive criticism, and is openly part of an unfair and unfounded offensive."

According to the two officials, "the necessary exchanges that drive dialogue between our political communities must be accompanied by a relationship worthy of the citizens they serve."

"It is in the hope of conferring an ever stronger dynamic to the relationship that unites our institutions that today it is imperative to engage in a frank debate on all issues of mutual interest," maintained the speakers of the two Chambers of the Moroccan Parliament, affirming that it is decidedly necessary that relations concerning a partner country reflect reality and that they can be anchored on the healthy foundations offered by a truly balanced dialogue.

To this end, "we are ready to discuss with you the ways forward and to receive the most positive indications regarding the development of our cooperation."

Voronkov made the statement to the press after talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, on the sidelines of their participation in the second edition of the High-Level Meeting of Heads of Counter-terrorism and Security Agencies in Africa "Marrakech Platform", held in Tangier under the co-chairmanship of Morocco and the United Nations Office of Counter-terrorism.

In this statement, Voronkov welcomed the "strategic cooperation" between Morocco and the UN Office against Terrorism, noting that this meeting of the "Marrakech Platform" is an opportunity to "discuss practical ways of supporting African member states in a more effective fight against terrorism".

After describing his talks with Bourita as "very fruitful" in terms of "how the two sides can move forward together in the fight against terrorism", Voronkov expressed his hope for better international coordination in the fight against terrorism.

« The increasingly complex nature of the terrorist threat requires multilateral cooperation and multiagency approaches to create a stronger and more cohesive regional response. The Marrakech Platform is an important contribution to that end, » said Voronkov at the opening of the 2nd edition of the High-Level Meeting of Heads of Counter-Terrorism and Security Agencies in Africa "Marrakech Platform", co-chaired by Morocco and the United Nations Office of (UNOCT).

On this occasion, Voronkov expressed his sincere gratitude to the Kingdom of Morocco for its "immense support" to the United Nations Office of Counter-terrorism, and for hosting the second annual meeting of the Marrakech Platform this year in Tangier.

The UN official recalled in this context the opening, in June last year, by the UNOCT of its Program Office in Rabat and its training center for counter-terrorism in Africa, with the "strong political support and generous financial contribution by the government of Morocco".

« I am very proud to say that since its opening, the Rabat Office has already conducted important capacity-building activities together with our partners from Morocco, » he stressed, citing in particular the launch last year of a specialized training program on counter-terrorism investigations.

UNOCT staff members from the Counter-Terrorism Investigations Programme, Kidnap for Ransom Project, and the Global Fusion Cells Programme now also operate out of Rabat, « ensuring their close proximity to African Member States, and facilitating more tailored and effective delivery, » he underlined.

Voronkov took the opportunity to "thank again the Kingdom of Morocco, and our observers, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Qatar, Brazil, and the European Union » for their support, which « allows us to grow and effectively deliver our programmes throughout the continent ».

He also welcomed the "strategic cooperation" between Morocco and the United Nations Office of Counter-terrorism, noting that this meeting of the "Marrakech Platform" is an opportunity to discuss practical ways of supporting African member states in a more effective fight against terrorism.

« I am happy to see the Marrakesh Platform evolving with a growing level of participation and welcome the opportunity to once again have an open discussion with national stakeholders about the strategies and approaches to reinforce regional cooperation on counter-terrorism issues » he said.

Voronkov noted that the two-day event will be an opportunity to address common challenges in inter-agency cooperation, share best practices in strategic decision-making and strengthen national approaches to counter-terrorism.

He added in this respect that Africa remains a priority for UNOCT, announcing in this context the organization, in early 2024 in Abuja, in collaboration with the Nigerian government, of an African summit on the fight against terrorism under the theme "Strengthening regional cooperation and institution building to address the evolving threat of terrorism in Africa".