🇲🇦MoroccoNorth Africa
Philippines ambassador discusses Morocco's role as gateway to Africa and 50 years of diplomatic relations
via Le Matin10 min read
The Philippines Ambassador to Morocco, Leslie Baja, discussed the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the launch of a new book, "A Book of Pleasant Journeys to Distant Lands: The History of the Philippines and Morocco." The book aims to document the shared history, which includes human and family ties dating back to the 11th century, and to provide a foundation for future generations. Despite periods without a permanent diplomatic presence, significant exchanges and cooperation have occurred. Baja highlighted that both nations, having emerged from colonialism, share aspirations for peace, sustainable development, and a more inclusive international order. The reopening of the Philippine embassy in Rabat in 2020 and the Moroccan embassy in Manila in 2017 have revitalized the partnership, leading to regular political consultations and a quadrupling of bilateral trade since 2017 to nearly $60 million by 2025. The Philippines has also established the only Migrant Workers Office in Africa in Rabat. Both countries, as maritime nations, hold strategic geostrategic positions: Morocco as a gateway to Africa and the Philippines as a bridge between Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific. They actively cooperate on international issues such as climate change, migration, peace, security, and advocating for middle-income countries. Morocco's engagement with ASEAN, supported by the Philippines, has deepened, culminating in its status as a sectoral dialogue par
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Le Matin.
Professor Radouane Mrabet, speaking at the 3rd "Sustainable Buildings and Cities" Congress BVD'26 at UPF University in Fès, highlighted the critical need for Morocco to prioritize digital sovereignty in its smart city initiatives. He emphasized that a smart city's definition extends beyond technological sophistication to encompass data control and security. Mrabet argued that digital sustainability, alongside environmental and economic dimensions, is a crucial pillar for future cities, requiring robust cybersecurity for urban infrastructure, sovereignty over urban data, and protection of personal data. The increasing reliance of public services on interconnected digital systems, from transport to healthcare, amplified by technologies like 5G, cloud computing, AI, and IoT, creates new vulnerabilities for cybercriminals. Mrabet warned that an insecure smart city is a vulnerable one, citing examples such as attacks on urban cameras leading to espionage or privacy breaches, hacking of smart traffic lights causing accidents, and intrusions into water management systems disrupting supply or quality. He also noted risks to citizen services, like compromised municipal applications leading to identity theft, and the dangers of relying on foreign cloud services, which can result in loss of data control and service interruptions. Morocco has established a legal framework to address these risks, including Law No. 07-03, which criminalizes offenses related to automated data processing sys
Badreddine Diani, a Moroccan mixed martial arts fighter, expressed his readiness for his upcoming PFL MENA fight, stating it was his best preparation this year. He trained for a month in Thailand with top fighters before completing his camp in Casablanca with his coach and team. Diani has previously competed in the PFL MENA finals in 2024 and 2025, winning his fight in 2024 but suffering an injury, and reaching the final in 2025 where the outcome was not as hoped. He believes these experiences have helped him grow and hopes to bring the belt to Morocco. Before MMA, Diani built a strong record in Sambo, a discipline he credits for developing his technical and tactical skills. He explained that Sambo combat was the closest discipline to MMA available in Morocco at the time, and he won multiple African championships and medals at world championships and the Paris Grand Prix. He is grateful to the Royal Moroccan Sambo Federation for the opportunity to represent Morocco. Diani also commented on the PFL's upcoming first event in Morocco, calling it excellent news for Moroccan MMA. He views it as a chance to fight in front of his home crowd and believes it signifies Morocco's growing importance in the sport. He noted that the PFL recognized the enthusiasm of Moroccans for MMA and the skill of their fighters. He plans to attend the event and believes it will further develop MMA in the country. To young Moroccans aspiring to a career in MMA, Diani advises perseverance, hard work, pati
A high-level delegation from the Spanish Civil Guard visited Abdellatif Hammouchi, head of the DGSN-DGST Pole. This visit highlights the advanced security partnership between the DGSN-DGST Pole and Spanish security and intelligence services, which serves as a model for combating terrorism and transnational crime. The meeting included a ceremony where several DGST and DGSN officials received prestigious Spanish decorations. These awards, issued by decree of the Spanish Minister of Interior, recognize the officials' sustained efforts and significant contributions to strengthening operational cooperation and technical assistance with Spanish security authorities. The Spanish decorations underscore the deep and solid strategic relations between Moroccan security services and their Spanish Civil Guard counterparts, reflecting Spain's appreciation for the professionalism of DGSN-DGST personnel in addressing shared cross-border security challenges. This distinction reaffirms the excellent bilateral security cooperation based on mutual trust and close coordination between Morocco and Spain. It also illustrates the pivotal role of Moroccan security services as a strategic and reliable partner in ensuring regional and international security and stability, particularly in the Mediterranean basin. General Luis Peláez Piñeiro praised the strength of Moroccan-Spanish security cooperation, calling Morocco an essential strategic partner in fighting terrorism and organized crime given the com