"I had the great honor today to deliver a message from HM King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, to His Excellency the President of the Republic of Niger, Mr. Mohamed Bazoum," Mezzour told the press at the end of the audience, held in the presence of HM the King's ambassador to Niger, Allal Elachab.

"This message is part of the strengthening of deep relations between our two sister countries. Multidimensional, economic, social, environmental, cultural and sports relations that the two Heads of State call to strengthen concretely on the ground," said Mezzour.

The goals of the Atlas Lions were scored by Abdelhamid Sabiri (73rd minute) and Zakaria Aboukhlal (90+2nd).

The second game in the same group will pit Croatia against Canada at the Khalifa International Stadium.

In the first day, Morocco drew (0-0) against Croatia, while Belgium beat Canada (1-0).

A total of 24,915,402 people have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while the number of fully vaccinated people (1st and 2nd doses) has reached 23,415,243, the ministry pointed out in its daily COVID-19 bulletin, noting that 6,857,877 people have received the third dose of the vaccine, while 56,098 people have received the fourth dose.

According to the same source, the number of COVID-19 cases reported since the start of the outbreak of the virus rose to 1,268,396, while recoveries increased to 1,250,874, i.e. a recovery rate of 98.6%.

The new COVID-19 cases were recorded in the regions of Rabat-Salé-Kenitra (67), Casablanca-Settat (14), Marrakech-Safi (8), Souss-Massa (6), Fez-Meknes (4), Eastern region (1) and Guelmim-Oued Noun (1).

As for coronavirus-related fatalities, their number remained at 16,284, with no case recorded in the last 24 hours.

The number of active cases stands at 1,238, with one new case under artificial respiration reported over the last 24 hours.
 

In a press statement adopted on Friday, the UNSC members expressed their deepest condolences and sympathy to the family of the peacekeeper, to Morocco, and to the United Nations.

They condemned in the strongest terms the attack on the Obo airfield in the southeast of the Central African Republic.

For his part, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed, in a statement issued by his spokesman, his deepest condolences to the family of the deceased peacekeeper and the Kingdom and people of Morocco.

He strongly condemned the attack, noting that MINUSCA has opened an investigation to establish the facts regarding the death of the Moroccan peacekeeper.

In addition, Guterres expressed to the Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Morocco to the UN, Omar Hilale, his deepest condolences to the family of the deceased peacekeeper and the government and people of Morocco.

Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, conveyed to Ambassador Hilale his condolences to the government and the Royal Armed Forces following the death of the Moroccan peacekeeper.

"I thank Morocco once again for its commitment and support to our operations, despite the very heavy price resulting from this," he said, adding that the UN "will do its utmost to hold the perpetrators accountable for this act".

In a tweet, the UN official also expressed his sincere condolences to the relatives of the Moroccan peacekeeper killed in the attack in CAR, while serving for peace with the UN mission.

He noted that an investigation has been opened and the perpetrators of this heinous act will be held accountable.

Also, the Security Council and the UN SG have emphasized that attacks on UN peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law.

In this essay, Jamal Amiar traces the history of Moroccan-Israeli relations, which have remained "very discreet for six decades", and analyzes the interactions between the two countries and Moroccan Jews on cultural, political, diplomatic, economic and religious levels.

Divided into 21 parts, the 342-page book highlights how "two states and a Jewish community, Moroccan and Israeli of Moroccan origin, were able to fully seize their assets and manage their cooperation and interests together" over this long period of six decades.

Through this book, the author also offers an overview of the actions of the Kings of Morocco who have always affirmed "the inviolable character of the rights of Moroccan Jews, and participated in the defense and rebirth of Moroccan Jewish culture".

According to the book, this is an important achievement for Morocco, which has demonstrated its perspicacity on the subject of ethnic and religious minorities in Muslim lands.

The essay refers, moreover, to the action of HM King Mohammed VI, inscribed in this tradition and this heritage, as evidenced by the introduction of a reference to the Hebrew heritage of Morocco in the constitution of 2011.

It also tackles the diplomatic and security ties that Morocco has developed with the United States and Israel over the decades, which resulted in the American recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara in 2020.

A statement by the House of Representatives said that Talbi El Alami exposed, during the debate and discussion session on Morocco, the Moroccan experience in the areas of security, peace, renewable energy and digital transition, as well as the management of socio-economic and health repercussions of the pandemic, under the enlightened leadership of HM King Mohammed VI.

Talbi El Alami also reviewed the specificities of the Moroccan parliament and its two houses, their missions in terms of legislation, support of government work and evaluation of public policies, as well as in terms of promotion of the Moroccan model in the various international parliamentary forums.

For their part, the parliamentarians of the permanent member countries of the AIPA praised the Moroccan management of the Covid-19 pandemic and the efforts made in the fields of human and sustainable development, clean energies and the promotion of peace, security and living together.

The speaker of the House of Representatives held, on the sidelines of this meeting, bilateral talks with the presidents of parliaments and heads of delegation participating in this event, added the same source, specifying that they are Vietnam, Thailand, Laos and Azerbaijan, as well as a delegation of Norway, which is an observer member.

The bilateral talks focused on strengthening relations and sharing expertise and experience, particularly in the parliamentary field and in coordination, for the benefit of development and the promotion of peace and security.

During the talks, the statement noted, the parties stressed that the achievement of these objectives requires dialogue and acceptance of difference, both pillars of effective and sustainable communication.

The presidents of the parliaments and delegations underlined, on this occasion, the special interest that their respective countries give to the relations with the Kingdom of Morocco, the only African and Arab country that enjoys a mechanism of parliamentary cooperation with the AIPA, expressing their willingness to raise the bilateral cooperation to better levels.

For his part, Talbi El Alami welcomed the quality of parliamentary cooperation, having been consolidated due to the status of observer member that the House of Representatives now enjoys within the AIPA.

Within this framework and in response to the call of the Secretary General of the United Nations, the Ministry joined the operation "Orange the World" by proceeding to illuminate in orange color some of its buildings and orange the digital spaces, said a statement by the MEF.

The ministry has also published some illustrations of this campaign on its communication channels and social networks.

"We see the Tangier conference as a foundation for our efforts to address the interdependence between peace, security, good governance and sustainable development," Adeoye said during a meeting with the Moroccan press accredited to the AU in the presence of Ambassador Mohamed Arrouchi, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom to the AU and UNECA.

The Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the AU Commission, who took this opportunity to thank the Kingdom of Morocco for hosting the first continental political conference on the Peace, Security, and Development Nexus: The Promise of Regional Integration, noted that this meeting was of great importance for several reasons, the first being that it is the first of its kind, organized at the highest level.

"It was an opportunity to engage in exchanges and discussions as we examined the linkages and interconnections between peace, security and development," Adeoye noted.

"We are very pleased to have been able to bring together over 200 participants from Africa and elsewhere over the course of three days, enabling them to examine the linkages that strengthen the foundations of the AU Constitutive Act and other relevant AU instruments that aim to promote peace and security on the continent within the framework of the African solutions to Africa's problems and in relation to the aspirations of the AU Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Development Agenda," the AU senior official said.

"So this interconnection is already embedded, but it is the practice that is crucial. How can Africa move from promoting industrialization to promoting peace and stability? As the popular expression goes, no peace without development and no development without peace. This is the essence of the Tangier Process," reaffirmed the AU official.

He added: "We are very proud of this inaugural summit which has brought together leaders and practitioners in the field".

"As we tackle the challenges of terrorism, violent extremism, radicalization, insurgency and unconstitutional changes of government, we must remember that only development can ensure lasting peace," Adeoye said.

For the AU Commissioner, Morocco's role since rejoining the AU has been critical and Morocco's leadership of the AU PSC for the month of October, with the step taken in Tangier, has also been very crucial.

“It is important to see Morocco's role in supporting efforts to promote security and peace in the Sahel, food security in the Lake Chad Basin, and improved security in many parts of the continent," Adeoye said.

A total of 24,915,395 people have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while the number of fully vaccinated people (1st and 2nd doses) has reached 23,415,238, the ministry pointed out in its daily COVID-19 bulletin, noting that 6,857,858 people have received the third dose of the vaccine, while 56,092 people have received the fourth dose.

According to the same source, the number of COVID-19 cases reported since the start of the outbreak of the virus rose to 1,268,295, while recoveries increased to 1,250,750, i.e. a recovery rate of 98.6%.

The new COVID-19 cases were recorded in the regions of Casablanca-Settat (59), Rabat-Salé-Kenitra (36), Fez-Meknes (26), Marrakech-Safi (18), Souss-Massa (07), Dakhla-Oued Eddahab (04), Guelmim-Oued Noun (03), Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra (02), Eastern region (02), Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima (01) and Draa-Tafilalet (01).

As for coronavirus-related fatalities, their number remained at 16,284, with no case recorded in the last 24 hours.

The number of active cases stands at 1,261, with one new case under artificial respiration reported over the last 24 hours.

Ouzzine remained the sole candidate after his rival, Driss Zouini, failed to meet the legal and regulatory conditions for candidacy for the leadership of the MP, provided in the statute approved by the national congress of the party.