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VIENTIANE, Jan 1 (Vientiane Times/ANN): Morocco has bolstered its status as the first Arab and African partner of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) by agreeing to deepen cooperation in various water and energy-related fields.
The agreement between the two sides covers the exchange of expertise and establishment of an Educational Visitor Centre at the MRC Headquarters in Laos, according to the information provided by the MRC. During a recent visit to Rabat, Morocco, a delegation of senior officials from MRC member countries and Secretariat headed by Chief Executive Officer, Dr Anoulak Kittikhoun, renewed a 2017 memorandum of understanding with their Moroccan counterparts.
The renewal of the MoU aims to enhance the continuous cooperation and exchange of expertise in a range of fields, such as green energy, including solar and wind, managing integrated water resources, drought management, water demand and uses, eco-tourism and conservation projects, and management of natural disasters.
The working visit allowed the MRC delegation to have constructive meetings with relevant Moroccan departments and agencies to dovetail a possible roadmap for implementing the new MoU, which was signed on December 9 by Dr Kittikhoun and Mr Fouad Yazourh, Director-General of Bilateral Relations and Regional Affairs at the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates.
“This MoU signifies that the Mekong River remains at the centre of the world’s attention as we work with partners to benefit our region, politically and economically,” said Dr Kittikhoun. The Government of Morocco, through the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation, will finance the establishment of the Educational Visitor Centre in Vientiane, anticipated in 2023-24.
Along with showcasing the Mekong cooperation history and opportunities and challenges presented by water resources development and climate change, the Centre may offer educational programmes, drawing on Moroccan experience and expertise in capacity building and technical cooperation that the country is willing to share with Southeast Asian countries.
This agreement also symbolises the latest MRC effort to expand and deepen its partnerships around the world, particularly with one of the world’s fastest-growing countries and a pioneer in renewable energy in the African continent such as Morocco. Such dialogue has been a priority for the intergovernmental agency – comprising Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam – since the MRC’s inception in 1995.
MRC officials and national representatives made their first visit to the Kingdom of Morocco in late 2017. The Covid-19 pandemic delayed some of the planned collaboration activities.
The MRC is an intergovernmental organisation established in 1995 to boost regional dialogue and cooperation in the Lower Mekong River Basin. - Vientiane Times/ANN
