This award confirms BMCE Capital's position of choice in investment banking, both nationally and continentally, and its quest for excellence in the service of its partners and clients, BMCE Capital said in a statement.

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BMCE Capital is present in Morocco, Tunisia and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). It covers several activities of the Investment Bank (Dealing Room, Asset Management, Private Banking, Financial Advisory, Private Equity, Stock Exchange Intermediation, Securitization, Financial Research, Post-Trade Solutions and Real Estate).

This performance mainly reflects higher sales prices in all three segments, which largely offset lower sales volumes, the group said in a statement on its results at the end of December 2022.

At the retail level, Roche's turnover increased by 51% year-on-year, mainly due to improved prices, in a context of declining export volumes to major importing regions, the same source said.

Regarding fertilizers, sales increased by 44% compared to last year, thanks to higher sales prices, which offset the impact of lower export volumes. The less favorable economic conditions for farmers, linked to the price increase, led to a decrease in global demand.

As for the gross margin, it amounted to MAD 70.38 billion, up from 55.22 billion dirhams recorded a year earlier. The improvement in sales prices has largely offset the increase in raw material costs, including ammonia and sulfur.

EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization), meanwhile, increased by 38% to more than 50 billion dirhams against MAD 36.27 billion in 2021. The improvement in sales prices, as well as the Group's operational efficiency, resulted in an EBITDA margin of 44%.

Operating income amounted to MAD 40,382 million, up significantly from MAD 25.8 million the previous year.

Placed under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, this tournament, organized by the Royal Moroccan Tennis Federation (FRMT) in coordination with the Royal Tennis Club of Marrakech (RTCMA), will bring together renowned tennis players, including 20 players in the top 100 of the ATP World Ranking.

"The 37th edition of the Grand Prix Hassan II of Tennis, the only tournament of this level on the African continent, will see the participation of world-class tennis players," said vice-president of the FRMT, Aziz Laaraf, at a press conference on the final preparations for this edition.

Laaraf noted that the excellent organization of this international event reflects the good image of Moroccan tennis and sport in general in the Kingdom.

For his part, secretary general of the FRMT and president of the RTCMA, Aziz Tifnouti, expressed the pride of the RTCMA to host, for the sixth consecutive time, the largest men's tournament in Africa with more than 21 countries and a consistent premium, noting that the RTCMA has all the assets to host high-level events, including a team of great experience and adequate infrastructure.

He added that thanks to the vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the Kingdom has become one of the nations appreciated by international sporting bodies, highlighting the important impact of this event for the city of Marrakech at all levels.

For his part, the director of the 37th edition of the Grand Prix Hassan II of Tennis, Hicham Arazi, highlighted the quality of players participating in this tournament, including the Italian Lorenzo Musetti, ranked 21st in the world, the British Daniel Evans (29), the Belgian David Goffin (40), titleholder, and the French Benjamin Bonzi (45).

Arazi noted that three Moroccan tennis players have won wild cards to participate in the final table, namely Elliot Benchetrit, Adam Moundir and Younes Lalami Laaroussi, while Walid Ahouda and Reda Bennani will participate in the qualifying table.

He added that the Moroccan duets Elliot Benchetrit / Adam Moundir and Younes Lalami Laaroussi / Hamza El Amine will take part in this tournament which was inaugurated in 1984 in Marrakech.

The agreement was signed by the director in charge of the management of the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif Agency, Mohamed Salem Cherkaoui, and the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bank of Palestine, Hashim Shawa, in the presence of the Moroccan ambassador to the State of Palestine, Abderrahim Meziane.

Both parties agreed, under this agreement, that the bank would provide the Agency with advisory services related to the investment and operation of the Fund's deposits by managing its investment in order to increase its resources and revenues.

The financial institution will also provide an e-commerce service through its website, which will allow the agency to receive funds from donations or sales of Palestinian products.

The agreement stipulates that the two parties cooperate within the framework of the "Falestineya" program, which is part of the Bank's programs, in order to organize joint events and activities to support the women of Al Quds and to promote the projects of the women beneficiaries of this program.

The two parties also agreed to cooperate to implement, during the blessed month of Ramadan, support activities for the benefit of the inhabitants of the old city of Al Quds, through special programs with a cultural and entertainment dimension, as well as organizing conferences to support the economy of the holy city and promote economic development and investment programs.

The agreement provides for cooperation between the Agency and the Bank to create financing instruments for the benefit of the housing and tourism sectors, in order to achieve the principle of promoting economic development, including the mobilization of financial resources from Arab and Islamic countries to guarantee loans to citizens.

On this occasion, Cherkaoui said that this partnership reflects the vision of the Bayt Mal Al Quds Agency regarding the joint action to be undertaken in order to serve the objectives for which this institution was established as the ideal tool for coordinating Islamic Arab support for the Holy City.

He added that pursuant to the High Instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the agency proceeds to the selection of concrete social and economic projects that will have a direct impact on the beneficiaries in the sectors of health, education, housing and youth, its action being governed by a realistic vision that takes into account the nature and specificities of Al Quds, as well as the issue of funding and its constraints.

For his part, Hashim Shawa praised the essential role played by the Kingdom of Morocco, under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, in supporting the city of Al-Quds and its inhabitants through the projects implemented by the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif Agency.

On Monday, the MASI had closed with a gain of 0.84%.

Speaking on the occasion of the Universal Periodic Review of Algeria, in the framework of the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council, the NGO stated, Monday in Geneva, that "Algeria has a moral and legal responsibility to implement and protect human rights in the Tindouf camps, as on the rest of Algerian soil."

This responsibility cannot be removed in the presence of a non-internationally recognized organization such as the Polisario Front, and the State party remains responsible for all actions of this organization, in accordance with the norms of international law, the PDES noted.

"We look forward to the Algerian State's acceptance of the recommendations addressed to it by the Council, and we hope that this will be accompanied by real work in favor of the realization of human rights, so that the State fulfills all its international obligations, including the reparation of all those who have been victims of violations, whether in the Tindouf camps or in the rest of the country," the same source added.

The NGO also indicated that it would continue to monitor, document and interact with all UN mechanisms related to the protection of human rights, expressing its wish that these mechanisms interact with its recommendations, visit the region and exchange with the abductees in the Tindouf camps, who suffer numerous violations, far from the eyes of the international community, and in the absence of national recourse mechanisms, especially judicial.

In a joint statement issued after talks Monday in Rabat with Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates Nasser Bourita, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Prak Sokhonn expressed his admiration for the social and economic development that Morocco is experiencing.

Sokhonn, who is paying an official visit to Morocco on March 27 and 28 at the invitation of Bourita, expressed his admiration for the wise policies of HM the King to ensure the Kingdom's prosperity and stability.

This visit, the first of its kind to Morocco by a Cambodian Foreign Minister, aims to give a new impetus to bilateral relations and the promotion of economic, sectoral, cultural and scientific cooperation between the two countries.

In addition to his talks with Bourita, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Cambodia paid a courtesy call on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rachid Talbi Alami.

This was expressed in a joint statement issued after talks, held Monday in Rabat, between the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates Nasser Bourita and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Prak Sokhonn.

On this occasion, the two parties welcomed the excellent relations between their respective countries, at the highest level, marked by friendship, mutual respect, consultation and coordination on issues of common interest.

On this occasion, Bourita hailed the remarkable progress made in Cambodia under the High Leadership of King Norodom Sihamoni, praising the Cambodian government led by Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, for the role it has played in ensuring decades of peace, stability and continuous development of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

The two sides welcomed in this regard the meeting held on January 25, 2022 by video conference at the ministerial level, as well as the third session of the Moroccan-Cambodian virtual political consultations held on May 18 of the same year at the level of directors. In this regard, they stressed the importance of advancing the bilateral political-diplomatic dialogue.

They also discussed, in a substantial way, the ways and means to raise this bilateral dialogue to the level of the expectations of the political leadership and the aspirations of the peoples of the two friendly countries, underlines the joint statement.

The two ministers stressed the need to promote trade and investment flows and develop cultural and scientific exchanges between Morocco and Cambodia, capitalizing on their respective privileged positions in the regions of Africa and Southeast Asia.

In this regard, Bourita and Sokhonn called for the encouragement of business communities of both countries to intensify trade and investment.

The two officials also agreed on the importance of organizing, in the near future, a business forum in Morocco or Cambodia, which will provide an opportunity for public and private operators of both countries to learn more about the economic potential and identify sectoral opportunities on both sides.

In addition, the two sides stressed the convergence of views of Morocco and Cambodia on a number of regional and international issues and renewed their firm commitment to promote multilateralism and contribute to the global agenda for peace, security and development.

Bourita did not fail to welcome the success of the Cambodian chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2022, highlighting the importance of the results of all the Summits and related meetings held in Cambodia throughout the last year.

Regarding Morocco's bid to become an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner (SDP), Sokhonn conveyed to his Moroccan counterpart his country's full support for the Moroccan bid, in line with the ASEAN process and consensus.

The two ministers also welcomed the mutual votes and support within international organizations.

In this regard, Bourita reiterated the support of Morocco to the application of the Kingdom of Cambodia as an observer member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Similarly, and given the friendly relations between the two kingdoms and Morocco's leadership and commitment to maintaining international security, Sokhonn expressed Cambodia's support for Morocco's candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for 2028-2029.

Regarding parliamentary diplomacy, the two ministers welcomed the exchanges between the Moroccan Parliament and the National Assembly of Cambodia, particularly at the bilateral and regional levels, as well as within the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) and at the multilateral level.

They acknowledged the positive cooperation between the two parliaments and reaffirmed their commitment to uphold multilateralism based on international laws and to work closely together to strengthen the NAM parliamentary network to protect, preserve and promote peace and sustainable development.

The two ministers also reviewed their cooperation within the AIPA, of which Morocco is an observer member, before exchanging views on ways to develop contacts between the two peoples through scholarships, academic exchanges, organization of cultural events, etc.

At the end of the meeting, the two parties agreed to establish, in the near future, a roadmap for the deepening of bilateral relations in order to develop a comprehensive partnership.

The two ministers also welcomed the signing of the agreement on air services and expressed their belief that this agreement will contribute to the promotion of tourism, business, trade and people-to-people relations between the two countries.

In the same spirit, the two ministers agreed to expedite the finalization and signing of three other agreements, namely the Agreement between Morocco and Cambodia for the reciprocal promotion and protection of investments, the Agreement between Morocco and Cambodia for the elimination of double taxation on income and the prevention of tax evasion and avoidance, as well as the Agreement on cultural, technical, scientific and economic cooperation.

These three documents will give a new impetus to bilateral economic relations and cooperation, as they constitute a solid basis for the development of trade and investment, reflecting the excellent relations that bind the two countries at the political and diplomatic levels.

Furthermore, and based on the shared objectives and ambitions for the promotion of bilateral relations and beyond, the Cambodian Prime Minister, Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, will pay an official visit to Morocco at the invitation of the Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch.

Sokhonn has, in turn, sent an official invitation to Bourita to make an official visit to Cambodia in the near future, an invitation accepted by the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Bourita and his Cambodian counterpart have also decided to invite the authorities concerned to increase the number of visits of economic and trade delegations in one or the other country and to encourage participation in economic, cultural and artistic events organized in Morocco and Cambodia.

This visit, the first of its kind in Morocco of a Cambodian Minister of Foreign Affairs, aims to give a new impetus to bilateral relations and the promotion of economic, sectoral, cultural and scientific cooperation between the two countries.

In addition to his talks with Bourita, Sokhonn, who is on an official visit to Morocco, March 27 and 28, 2023, paid a courtesy call on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rachid Talbi Alami.

This position was expressed in a joint statement issued after talks between the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates Nasser Bourita and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Prak Sokhonn.

"The Kingdom of Cambodia fully supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Morocco and respects its efforts to reach a negotiated political solution to this regional conflict," said Sokhonn, who is on an official visit to Morocco on March 27 and 28, 2023, at the invitation of Bourita.

Quoted in the joint statement, the Cambodian Foreign Minister also stressed Cambodia's full support for the efforts undertaken by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and his Personal Envoy for the Sahara Staffan De Mistura, which are in line with the parameters of the relevant Security Council resolutions on this issue.

The Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister welcomed in this regard the "serious, realistic and credible" efforts made by Morocco.

In a statement, the Ministry said it had learned of this sad incident, expressing its "deep regret at this tragic event," while wishing a speedy recovery to the citizen in question, who was evacuated to the CHU Ibn Sina in Rabat to receive the necessary care.

The Ministry also expressed its full solidarity with the citizen in question and his family following this incident, whatever the circumstances and reasons, the statement added, noting that it is a contractual employee at the Mohammed V Theatre in Rabat retired since October 2021, and who enjoys all rights guaranteed by law.

The individual in question had submitted to the Ministry an offer to purchase his plays, which was approved, says the statement, noting that the Ministry had acquired two of his plays in 2022 and agreed to purchase a third in 2023, knowing that these plays have already been presented in Machraa Belksiri and Salé.

The Ministry is following very closely the condition of this individual and has charged an official of the Department of Culture to ensure this monitoring in the hospital, concludes the statement.