Latest news with #26thThroneDay


Maroc
a day ago
- Business
- Maroc
2026 Finance Bill Sets out Main Priorities
The Finance Bill for the 2026 fiscal year sets out four main priorities, in application of High Royal Guidelines, outlining the framework of a new phase, according to the guidance note for the bill addressed by the Head of Government to ministerial departments. According to the note, the bill involves bolstering the Kingdom's development, achieving a balance between economic development and social and spatial justice, enshrining the bases of the social State and accelerating major structural reforms, as well as preserving the stability of public finances. These guidelines set the course for bolstering the Kingdom's emergence by leveraging growth, investment, and reform to strengthen economic resilience and enhance national competitiveness, the same source adds. They also highlight the priority given by His Majesty King Mohammed VI to spatial justice, through bridging social and spatial disparities, in line with a balanced and inclusive development approach at the national level. Morocco is therefore entering a new phase of transformation based on promoting employment, strengthening basic social services, preserving water resources, and integrated territorial development, the guidance note further emphasizes. The 2026 Finance Bill also aims to bolster economic growth, in line with the Royal Guidelines set out in His Majesty the King's speech on the 26th Throne Day, through sustained investment, strengthening Morocco's global industries, and industrial growth to permanently position the Kingdom among global value chains. This bill further places reducing social and spatial disparities at the heart of its action, covering in particular the promotion of employment, strengthening of basic social services, adopting a proactive and sustainable water resource management model, and launching integrated territorial upgrading projects. Strengthening of the State's social action towards a more targeting and efficient approach, through generalizing direct aid, expanding social coverage, access to housing and boosting households' purchasing power, remains one of the government's priorities. The 2026 PLF thus marks a clear shift towards a targeted and efficient impact in implementing public policies. (MAP: 11 August 2025)


Morocco World
02-08-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
In Message to King, Trump Reaffirms US Backing of Morocco's Sahara Sovereignty
Marrakech – In a blistering message to King Mohammed VI commemorating 26th Throne Day, US President Donald Trump obliterated any remaining illusions about America's stance on the Western Sahara, ruthlessly crushing Algeria's desperate maneuvers to keep its failing separatist proxy alive. The letter delivers a fatal blow to the Polisario Front's already crumbling legitimacy. 'I want to reaffirm that the United States of America recognizes Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara, and supports Morocco's autonomy proposal, serious, credible and realistic, as the only basis for a just and lasting settlement of this dispute,' Trump declared in his message to the sovereign, shattering any vestige of hope for Algeria's puppet militia. The American president pointed to the 'strong and lasting partnership' between the two nations, noting their joint work on advancing regional peace and security priorities, including through the Abraham Accords, counterterrorism efforts, and expanded trade cooperation. 'I look forward to continuing our collaboration to promote regional stability, security, and peace,' Trump concluded. The US president's latest uncompromising declaration in support of Moroccan territorial integrity torpedoes Algeria's worn-out narrative and cements America's recognition of Moroccan sovereignty on the Sahara as an immovable cornerstone of American foreign policy. This message brutally dismantles decades of Algerian deception and exposes the Polisario Front as nothing more than a Cold War relic sustained by Algiers' stubborn refusal to accept geopolitical reality. It also comes as Washington intensifies its stranglehold on Algeria's dying separatist scheme. Trump's Africa advisor, Massad Boulos, is already on a critical diplomatic tour of the Maghreb, having visited Tunisia and Algeria, with Morocco set to be the centerpiece of his trip. The Western Sahara file is no longer a diplomatic sideshow Behind closed doors, the Western Sahara is now viewed as part of a new Atlantic-African defense system. The ports, submarine cables, energy corridors, and electrical connections passing through Morocco's southern territories carry massive European and American interests. Washington has not withdrawn its recognition because the Pentagon sees Dakhla and Laayoune as secured harbors on the Atlantic maritime defense line. The ongoing high-level Paris meetings between Morocco, the United States, and France marks a defining moment in reshaping the region's power balance. Observers say there are strong indications that major powers have abandoned diplomatic pretenses, and Morocco stands on the verge of securing comprehensive recognition of its territorial integrity over the Sahara. This crushing repositioning follows April's savage dismantling of Algeria's position by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. During his meeting with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, Rubio mercilessly declared that 'genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the only feasible solution' while vowing to accelerate this inevitable outcome. The Secretary commanded all parties to 'engage in discussions without delay, using Morocco's Autonomy Proposal as the only framework to negotiate a mutually acceptable solution.' These demands directly assault Algeria's relentless obstruction of UN-led peace efforts. The Trump administration has telegraphed an iron determination to terminate the dispute. Washington is actively considering slashing funding for the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), a mission increasingly seen as complicit in perpetuating Algeria's regional destabilization project. In a scathing indictment published last March in the Washington Examiner, Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, demanded the United States sever funding for MINURSO, condemning it as a failed entity that 'preserves and provokes conflict.' He branded the Algerian-backed Polisario Front a 'Marxist' organization that 'holds wives and children as hostages' in the squalid Tindouf camps to prevent Sahrawis from returning to Morocco. The US is tightening the noose on Algeria According to a June damning analysis from Spanish think tank Instituto Coordenadas, the White House has weaponized diplomatic measures 'to pressure Algiers, including pushing for Polisario disarmament and dismantling the Tindouf camps' to force Algeria to the negotiating table. Algeria now faces 'pressure of unprecedented intensity, which will practically leave it no room for maneuver,' the analysis states. Continued defiance will trigger 'devastating consequences: greater diplomatic isolation, legal complications for its support of the movement, and probable secondary sanctions against Algerian entities that maintain links with the Polisario.' The White House's most potent weapon involves 'the threat of declaring the Polisario Front as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO),' which hangs like a sword over Algiers. A Hudson Institute article presents 'detailed legal arguments' proving that 'the Polisario Front meets the three legal criteria to be designated as an FTO' under US law. The Washington Institute for Near East Policy's recent report 'Strategic U.S. Engagement with Algeria' brutally dissects Algeria's strategic predicament, pointing out the 'unprecedented Western alignment behind Morocco's plan' and 'what appears to be an irreversible U.S. position of recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over the territory.' The report bluntly characterizes Algeria as having 'a well-earned reputation for resistance to change' while facing 'roiling domestic dissatisfaction' that could force changes in its international partnerships. The think tank suggests that if Algeria ever returns to rational diplomacy, 'Algiers might even conceivably play a role in persuading the Polisario to accept a negotiated model of self-governance, with the Moroccan autonomy plan as the starting framework.' It acknowledges that such a sensible approach remains 'unlikely' given the regime's ideological obstinacy. Trump is determined to finish what he started The Western Sahara is no longer a 'pending file' at the United Nations but has transformed into a strategic filter separating allies from adversaries. Every country now recognizing Morocco's sovereignty does so not out of courtesy, but because Morocco has emerged as the linchpin in Mediterranean, Sahel, and African security architecture. Morocco's UN Ambassador Omar Hilale proclaimed in April that 'the United States is determined to close the Western Sahara file, and we hope to celebrate the final end of this dispute at the 50th anniversary of the Green March with our Algerian neighbors.' The anniversary falls on November 6 – a date that strikes fear in Algiers. International momentum is building to designate the Polisario Front as a terrorist organization. Republican Congressman Joe Wilson, alongside Democratic Representative Jimmy Panetta, has submitted a bipartisan bill to the US Congress seeking to classify the Polisario Front as a foreign terrorist group, accusing Algeria and Russia of weaponizing the separatist movement to gain a strategic foothold in Africa. The legislation, titled the 'Polisario Front Terrorist Designation Act,' was formally submitted to the House of Representatives on June 24 and now awaits review by both the Foreign Affairs and Justice Committees. Algeria has degraded from being a 'supporting party' to a political hostage to an illegitimate organization that has lost its revolutionary façade and mutated into a tool of extortion. Its excessive military spending, coercion of vulnerable African nations, and orchestration of theatrical provocations through the Polisario Front represent desperate attempts to manufacture 'incidents' to reverse Morocco's diplomatic triumphs. Algeria's decades-long refusal to permit a proper census of the Tindouf camps reveals its fundamental insecurity about the demographic reality that would collapse its carefully constructed geopolitical fiction. The regime continues to exploit inflated population figures to maximize international aid – much of which is systematically looted according to the European Anti-Fraud Office's damning 2015 report. With Trump's return to office, the US-Morocco partnership is poised for significant expansion. Expected developments include the establishment of a US consulate in Dakhla, increased American official visits to Western Sahara, the territory's integration into African Lion military exercises, and the relocation of US-Moroccan strategic dialogue to the southern provinces. This deepening relationship builds upon historic foundations – Morocco was the first nation to recognize American independence in 1777, establishing what has become the longest unbroken diplomatic relationship in US history. As both countries prepare to commemorate 250 years of diplomatic relations in 2027, this latest affirmation of support for Morocco's territorial integrity reinforces a strategic partnership that has withstood the test of time and continues to evolve across multiple domains. The year 2025, marking the 50th anniversary of the Green March, will likely witness the emergence of a definitive resolution under American auspices – a resolution that will finally dismantle Algeria's anachronistic regional destabilization project and consign the Polisario Front to the dustbin of history. Read also: Failed Lobbying and Diplomatic Decline: The Algerian Experience in the US


Morocco World
31-07-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
Morocco and Senegal Further Industrial Partnership with Pan-African Vision
Rabat – Morocco and Senegal are strengthening their economic ties through a growing industrial partnership grounded in a Pan-African co-development vision. Bilateral trade between the two countries has expanded significantly, rising from $98.5 million in 2010 to $370 million in 2024, reflecting deepening cooperation based on mutual trust, solidarity, and economic complementarity. According to a recent interview with Senegal's government newspaper Le Soleil, Morocco's Minister of Industry and Commerce, Ryad Mezzour, emphasized this dynamic partnership and outlined three key priorities to further enhance collaboration: Transferring expertise in key sectors such as agribusiness and renewable energy. Sharing and optimizing port and logistics infrastructure. Establishing joint investment funds focused on regional small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Mezzour described Senegal as a 'pivotal partner' within Morocco's broader African industrial strategy, supported by ongoing bilateral technical programs. He also highlighted Morocco's robust economy, marked by a 55% increase in foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2024, driven by sector diversification, an attractive legal environment, and Morocco's role as a tri-continental connectivity hub. The minister further pointed to the rapid growth of Morocco's franchise sector, which includes 745 networks—84% international—with an average annual growth of 25% over 15 years and revenues of 20 billion dirhams. The government's 2025-2027 roadmap aims to boost exports, create jobs, and promote Moroccan brands internationally. 'Our ambition is to build shared prosperity with Africa,' Mezzour concluded. This interview featured in a special edition of Le Soleil commemorating Morocco's 26th Throne Day, showcasing Morocco's development model, industrial goals, and strong relations with African countries like Senegal. The edition also highlighted key growth sectors such as phosphates, manufacturing, franchising, and sports, with major projects in preparation for the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 and the FIFA World Cup 2030.


Morocco World
31-07-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
India Reaffirms Commitment to Bolster Strategic Cooperation with Morocco
Speaking at a reception organized by the Embassy of Morocco in New Delhi to mark the 26th Throne Day, Chaudhary reiterated India's commitment to maintaining high-level dialogue with Morocco, with a view to consolidating a multidimensional relationship poised to grow stronger in the coming years. The celebration brought together over 350 guests, including members of the Moroccan community in India, representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in New Delhi, senior officials from India's Ministry of External Affairs, and distinguished Indian figures from diplomatic, economic, academic, artistic, and cultural circles—reflecting the vitality and diversity of the Morocco-India partnership. He emphasized the increasing importance of human and cultural exchanges between the two nations, as well as the steady growth of trade relations, and highlighted several promising areas to further strengthen this partnership, including renewable energy, agriculture, the automotive industry, pharmaceuticals, agri-food, hospitality, and digital technologies. The Indian minister also stressed the need to bolster cooperation in skill development, noting that India's expertise in digital infrastructure and social transformation could offer new avenues for collaboration with Morocco. Representing the Indian government, Chaudhary also underscored Morocco's key role as a strategic crossroads, stating that in an ever-evolving globalized world, only countries that are open, inclusive, and receptive to innovation and change will be able to adapt and thrive. Referring to Morocco's hosting of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 FIFA World Cup, Chaudhary noted that such events present an exceptional opportunity to foster intercultural dialogue, bring people closer together, and celebrate excellence, ambition, and the human spirit. MWN with MAP