BuaNews (Tshwane)
18 January 2007
Bamako — Morocco pays due attention to cooperation among African countries and backs efforts to promote Africa's human development, both at bilateral and multilateral levels, Foreign Minister Mohamed Benaissa said.
He was speaking at the follow-up ministerial meeting of the 23rd Conference of African and French Heads of State and Government this week.
The minister added that Morocco was committed to combatting poverty, promoting education and training, and creating jobs through trade and investments, in accordance with the Millennium Development Goals.
He said Morocco was aware that Africa, which has witnessed major changes and seeks to further promote democratic values, is on the eve of a new start that requires the means likely to attract the necessary support for its development projects.
Mr Benaissa held talks with several African counterparts on the promotion of bilateral relations, South-South co-operation and co-operation between Morocco, France and African states in the economic, technical, social and human fields.
Meanwhile in Rabat, the Moroccan government has announced an emergency programme to counter possible fallout from a delay in rainfalls.
The droughts have already registered a 44 percent deficit from the annual average.
Speaking in the nation's upper house of Parliament, Agriculture Minister Mohand Laenser said the programme touches mainly on livestock farming, which has endured the most severe effects of the current situation.
The situation had further worsened because of the recent rise in livestock food prices on the international market.
The government's action in this regard consists of the exemption, or reduction, of taxes on certain livestock foods, the transportation of water, and the purchase of medicines and vaccines to preserve the livestock.
He also noted a decline in the land cultivated with cereals, which are barely four million hectares, according to statistics established on 5 January, or a 15 perent drop compared with the average registered during the past five years.
Mr Laenser said that as at 5 January agricultural dam levels stood at 54 percent (7.3 billion cubic metres) compared to 40 percent at the same time last year.
In case the situation keeps the same course, he assured that the government would set up a larger programme to help the sectors most affected.
This would entail providing drinking water to the worst-hit rural areas, safeguarding livestock, supporting farmers and the rural population, protecting forests and allocating insurance compensations by due deadlines. - BuaNews-NNN
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