Morocco and France signed on Wednesday in Rabat two agreements worth a total of €150 million, relating to the Support Program for the Generalization of Compulsory Medical Coverage and the Support Program for the Government Equality Plan 2023-2026.
The two agreements were initialed by Minister Delegate to the Minister of Economy and Finance, in charge of the Budget Fouzi Lekjaa, French Ambassador to Morocco Christophe Lecourtier, and Country Director of French Development Agency (AFD) in Morocco Quiterie Pincent.
The first agreement, for a total of €100 million, is part of AFD's ongoing support for the Royal project to globalize social protection, based on three pillars.
The aim is to bolster governance reforms to improve the Compulsory Health Insurance (AMO), to support equity and reinforce AMO's efficiency, taking into account gender issues, and to strengthen AMO's expenditure control.
For a total of €50 million, the second agreement strives to contribute to reducing all gender inequalities through two objectives, namely to operationalize and allocate Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB), including in the territories. The aim is also to boost the economic empowerment of women, notably through support for measures relating to the care economy part of the government's Equality Plan III (2023-2026).
Speaking on this occasion, Lekjaa noted that these agreements are part of an exemplary momentum, marked by the recent state visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Morocco, in addition to the signing of major agreements, recalling the deep historical ties between the two countries.
Both partnerships are aligned with the strategic priorities of the Moroccan government, in perfect harmony with the global development vision outlined by King Mohammed VI, he continued.
For his part, Lecourtier highlighted the solid and historic partnership between Morocco and France, shaped by “unwavering solidarity” in the face of common issues and challenges of the century.
He also stressed that the French President's visit was a cornerstone of France-Morocco relations, enshrining fruitful and longstanding bilateral cooperation.
Following the signing ceremony, also attended by Director General of the National Social Security Fund (CNSS) Hassan Boubrik, Lekjaa and Lecourtier expressed their satisfaction with the level and quality of cooperation between Morocco and AFD, and reiterated their willingness to further strengthen them.
