Posted on 04/14/2005 6:47:25 PM PDT by JustaCowgirl
Liz Cheney, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs believes "Morocco could be a model for countries of the region," noting that "King Mohammed VI has put the country on the path of modernization while respecting Morocco's culture and traditions."
Cheney, who ended Tuesday a three-day official visit to Morocco, told Morocco Times that reforms instituted in the north African country were among the top issues she discussed with Moroccan officials.
"We have also discussed the new political parties' law and the new press code, which is before the parliament," she said, adding that talks also touched on education, notably girls' schooling.
On the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI)'s assistance to Morocco, Cheney said "we provide technical assistance as the (Moroccan) government looks at the reforms they need to implement once we have the FTA."
The Free Trade Agreement (FTA), signed between the two countries in June 2004, eliminates tariffs on 95 percent of all bilateral trade between the United States and Morocco, and includes stringent protections for intellectual property and the environment.
MEPI has granted USD 6 million to assist Morocco in the framework of the US-Moroccan FTA, and allocated USD 2 million to fund a programme related to the new family law (Mudawana).
According to Cheney, MEPI aims to disseminate knowledge about the family law approved by the Moroccan parliament last year to promote the situation of women and enhance genre equality.
She pointed out that the purpose of programs like MEPI is to support "reforms coming from people themselves and from the government."
"I think reforms are absolutely coming from the inside. Morocco is the model for the whole region in this regard."
MEPI, she explained, is not trying to impose reforms from outside, noting that it supports "universal values including the right to education, the right to vote, the right to have a jobÉ etc."
"These are a whole range of issues to which we will respond with our resources to the changes that are coming from people who live in each individual country," she said.
I came to Morocco for the waters.
Is that a line from a movie or something?
I'm still angry over how Morocco treated our ships back in the early 1800s.
If on some dark day Dick Cheney were to morph into Barbra Streisand (God forbid!), the result of the transformation would look exactly like Liz Cheney.
My, you are an extremist.
OMG, I see it. That is funny!
Parrots are under represented. We need more parrots damnit.
Babs is looking like an ugly Jennifer Anniston in that mug shot.
I believe birds have had a very fair representation in the media.
Mebbe.
Jennifer Anniston on the very worst day of her life looked better than Barbra Streisand does on any day.
They are both hags.
Well, we're working for genre equality, so just back off on the bird equality complaints. You from PETA or something?
LOL!
I'd say so. I have a feeling I'd much rather get to know Liz than Barbra any day of the week, too.
I wonder, in Morocco, if genre equality would include men in hijabs? Or women taking 4 husbands?
I wonder, in Morocco, if genre equality would include men in hijabs? Or women taking 4 husbands?
Maybe the Moroccan women would settle for two(2)?
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