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News: Headlines from the Moroccan Press: Wednesday, February 13, 2019

AL BAYANE
Adoption of the Morocco-EU fisheries agreement: Moroccan satisfaction:
Morocco expressed on Tuesday its "appreciation" for the collective action of the European institutions and EU Member States, following the vote by a large majority of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on the Morocco-EU Fisheries Agreement. "The Kingdom of Morocco expresses its appreciation for the collective action of the European institutions and the EU Member States (and) welcomes their continued commitment to the strategic partnership with the Kingdom of Morocco," says a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This adoption confirms that Morocco is the only country legally entitled, within the framework of the exercise of its sovereignty, to negotiate and sign agreements including the Moroccan Sahara, affirms the Ministry, adding that these legal instruments cover the Moroccan Sahara region and explicitly stipulate that the fishing zone extends from parallel 35 in the North, to parallel 20 in the South, from Cap Spartel to Cap Blanc, south of Dakhla city...

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia on an official visit to Morocco:
His Majesty King Felipe VI and Queen Dona Letizia, Sovereigns of the Kingdom of Spain, will be on an official visit to the Kingdom of Morocco on February 13 and 14, 2019, at the invitation of HM King Mohammed VI, announces Monday a communiqué from the Ministry of the Royal House, Protocol and Chancellery. This visit reflects the depth and quality of bilateral relations, thanks to the common will to consolidate the multidimensional strategic partnership between the two neighbouring and friendly countries"...


AUJOURD'HUI LE MAROC
CDG is more an investor than an operator:
CDG has just embarked on its strategic shift, which was announced in June 2017. In its new plan, the Fund will have to move clearly towards a mode of intervention as an investor and reduce its role as an operator. The new strategic plan, which has been gradually rolled out since June 2017, required some organizational adjustments and adjustments. Thus, a new branch was created under the name "bank/finance/investment" in addition to the other two branches, namely tourism and territorial development. But until then the new branch still had no director...

Idmaj and Tahfiz: 108,953 insertions at the end of December 2018:
3,010 people benefited from the contractualised training for employment (FCE), including 1,423 under the specific programmes (Call Académie, Akadimyat Attadriss...). According to statistics from the National Agency for the Promotion of Employment and Skills (ANAPEC), 108,953 insertions were carried out at the end of December 2018 as part of programmes to promote paid employment. The programmes concerned are Idmaj and Tahfiz. Thus, the Idmaj system allowed 102,773 insertions, including 15,922 in the context of international placement. In detail, 20,015 people were hired under the fixed-term contract, 2,482 under permanent contracts and 64,354 under integration contracts. With regard to the "Tahfiz" programme, Anapec reports that 6,180 protocols have been validated for 6,180 employees and 2224 companies...


LE MATIN DU SAHARA
The European Parliament adopts by an overwhelming majority the Fisheries Agreement between Morocco and the EU:
The European Parliament adopted yesterday in plenary session in Strasbourg, by an overwhelming majority, the new Fisheries Agreement between Morocco and the European Union. Endorsed by 415 votes out of 653 deputies, the Agreement covers the fishing zone from Cap Spartel in northern Morocco to Cap Blanc in southern Morocco. For the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, this adoption confirms that Morocco is the only country legally entitled, within the framework of the exercise of its sovereignty, to negotiate and sign agreements including the Moroccan Sahara. In addition to the financial contribution, the agreement includes provisions to optimise the benefits and advantages for local populations in the areas concerned...

The 32nd AU Summit enshrines the exclusivity of the United Nations in the Moroccan Sahara issue:
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Nasser Bourita, stressed that the 32nd AU Summit, held in Addis Ababa, enshrined the implementation of the Nouakchott Summit decision, which had decided that the issue of the Moroccan Sahara is at the United Nations level and that the AU should support and assist this process, but without creating a parallel process or literature different from that of the United Nations...


LES INSPIRATIONS ÉCO
Morocco/Spain. A marriage of reason:
Morocco and Spain have been able to protect their partnership from the vicissitudes of the neighbouring countries thanks to their sense of pragmatism and a decisive desire to ensure that common interests prevail. "Morocco is an indispensable partner". The sentence is taken from the report published in 2014 by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the external action strategy of Spanish diplomacy. In this report prepared by the former government of Mariano Rajoy, the Executive underlines its determination to "build a dense network of relations and cross interests" with Morocco, however in a report dating back to 2015, the Spanish think tank "Institut Real Elcano" identified a gap in bilateral relations: the absence of a clear and precise roadmap on how to manage this relationship...

Real estate, Palm grove launches Custom Finishes:
While the Moroccan real estate market seems to be unaware of the crisis, it is undermined by fierce competition between the various players that are condemned to innovate in order to attract an increasingly connected and demanding clientele. The use of artificial intelligence is the new trend among developers, ready to do anything to gain market share, position themselves well on the market...


L'ECONOMISTE
Scrapping bonus: The ticket office is open:
After many delays, the truck fleet renewal program is finally starting. Interested carriers will be able to submit their applications from February 15. The announcement was made by Najib Boulif, Secretary of State for Transport, at the weekly oral question session of the House of Representatives. The program to renew the fleet of freight transport trucks for third parties has been regularly put on the table for several years, without success...

Insurance intermediaries: Mutate or perish:
Fnacam hopes to convince the Moroccan Union of Insurance Agents and Brokers (Umac) to merge into a confederation. Divisions and disputes between the two professional associations hinder negotiations with insurance companies on the revision of the commission rate. This request, in addition to the abolition of VAT, has become vital for brokers who must also diversify and negotiate the shift to digital in order not to disappear...


LIBERATION
The Spanish royal couple hosting Morocco:
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain will pay an official visit to Morocco on February 13 and 14 at the invitation of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, announces the Ministry of the Royal House, Protocol and Chancellery. It added that this visit reflects the depth and quality of bilateral relations, thanks to the common will to consolidate the multidimensional strategic partnership between the two neighbouring countries and friends...

Mohamed Benabdelkader: Morocco has placed the citizen at the centre of its concerns:
The Deputy Minister for Administrative Reform and Civil Service, Mohamed Benabdelkader, said on Monday in Dubai that his department has developed an ambitious strategy that puts the citizen at the centre of the public administration's concerns. "This new strategy was developed in accordance with an action plan for administrative reform focusing in particular on organizational, administrative and electronic aspects," Mohamed Benabdelkader said during a round table discussion held as part of the 7th edition of the World Summit of Governments...