The Minister of Economy and Finance, Mr. Nizar Baraka, Governor of the Kingdom of Morocco at the African Development Bank (ADB) and president of the Board of Governors of the (ADB), headed May 8th 2013 in Rabat together with the Special Advisor to the (ADB) President, Mr. Youssouf Ouedraogo, a press conference to announce the holding in Marrakech, under the high patronage of His Majesty the King, of the Annual Meetings of the Bank Group from May 27th to 31st 2013.
During the press conference, which was attended by sixty journalists representing various forums of the Moroccan press and accredited media in Morocco, the Minister presented the different measures taken within the framework of the preparations for this important event by the Kingdom, which is in close collaboration with the relevant services of the Bank, in terms of infrastructure, protocol, transport, security and communication as well as media.
In his speech, the Special Advisor to the (ADB) President thanked Morocco for its efforts to ensure a smooth and successful Annual Meetings in Marrakech. He also recalled the important place of the Kingdom of Morocco in the (ADB) as the first customer of this institution.
In addition, Mr. Youssouf Ouedraogo stated that during the meetings of Marrakech, several issues of common interest in the African continent and which are parts of the strategic guidelines for the Bank over the next ten years will be discussed.
For his part, the Minister of Economy and Finance indicated that this forum which brings together more than 3,000 people, with the participation of 54 African Ministers of Economy and Finance, African Central Bank Governors and representatives of 24 countries of three continents (America, Europe and Asia) is an opportunity for our country to highlight its programs for economic and social development. He also stressed that the Annual Meetings of the (ADB) is a real forum to know the economic freedom policies of the Kingdom and present its vast investment potential.
This press conference was also an opportunity for Mr. Nizar Baraka to give an overview of the relations of cooperation linking Morocco and the (ADB). Within this framework, he noted that this institution has always supported our country to achieve its investment projects as well as reforms in several sectors of high priority for Morocco such as the modernization of the administration, agriculture, education, health, finance, transport and energy.
The Minister of Economy and Finance stressed the current cooperation framework for the years 2012 to 2016 ,which focused on two strategic pillars, that are fully consistent with the Government`s priorities, namely (i) strengthening governance and social inclusion, and (ii) supporting the development of "green" infrastructure.