Go Morocco Forums

MrRight

Reforms undertaken by King Mohammed VI 'visible and undeniable,' U.S. paper

Washington - The reforms undertaken in Morocco under King Mohammed VI, are "visible and undeniable" as evidenced by the great projects scattered throughout the country, including the southern provinces, writes on Sunday the U.S. paper, "Times-Dispatch."

Morocco has "an extraordinary history of change, progress, and transformation" said the paper in an article issued following the recent visit to Morocco of the Governor of Virginia, Timothy Kaine.

The daily notes that Kaine's visit to the north African country is built on this unique history and is adding new meaning to the special relationship between the kingdom and Virginia, adding that Morocco is already the third-largest importer of Virginia's agricultural products.

The existing free trade agreement between the United States and Morocco should be used to encourage more trade diversification, more cooperation, and more exchange of goods and services in education, medicine, and high technology .

The author of the article, titled “Kaine’s Trip to Morocco Adds Strength to an Old Alliance” pointed out that in recent years, relations between the two countries reached higher and privileged levels of coordination and expanded to significant areas of cooperation.

In 2004, the Bush administration declared Morocco a Non-NATO Strategic Ally of the United States, he recalled, noting that in 2005, the two countries signed a groundbreaking free trade agreement, and highlighting that in July 2008, the Millennium Challenge Corporation in Morocco began implementation of one of its largest development programs ($700 million) in the world.

The article also says that, for close to 10 years, Morocco has embarked on a very ambitious program of economic development, institutional reform, political liberalization, major infrastructure and capital spending, and human and social development investment.

Personal status laws were amended and women were given more equality under the law. A national truth and reconciliation commission was also established to investigate the crimes of the past, it notes.

The Times-Dispatch underlined that relations between Morocco and USA are considered the oldest and most uninterrupted and one of its most enduring friendships that date back as far as 1777.