The decision consolidates Rabat's status regionally and internationally and strengthens its relationship with international financial institutions.
Rabat - By leaving the international list, Morocco succeeded in achieving a new victory that supports its image as a successful country that is governed by the most credible global systems. Observers say that this victory takes multiple dimensions. Its relationship with international financial institutions, especially since it was verified in Paris, in which Morocco is subjected to smear campaigns and targeting because of its adherence to its constants.
The meeting of the General Assembly of the European Union's Financial Action Task Force (GAFI), which was held in Paris between February 20 and 24, attributed the decision to remove Morocco from the gray list to "the Kingdom's firm political commitment to the compatibility of its anti-money laundering and financing of terrorism system with international standards, and Morocco's full loyalty." all its obligations within the specified deadlines.
On Friday, Morocco welcomed this step, which revealed the great efforts made by the government to achieve transparency and combat money laundering, corruption and illegal financial transactions, according to a plan and approach approved by the Moroccan government and worked to implement it.
Morocco’s exit from the “gray” list of the Financial Action Task Force is a dedication to the efforts made for years in its path towards transparency, good governance and the strengthening of the local legal arsenal, after a field visit of experts from the institution to Morocco during the period between January 16 and 23, in order to verify the Kingdom’s implementation. And the sectors targeted for monitoring in particular, according to the recommendations of the group.
Mohamed Lakrini, a Moroccan professor of international law, believes in a statement to The Arab Weekly that getting out of the gray list is a diplomatic and political victory for Morocco, which has adapted its legislation to international standards related to combating money laundering, financing terrorism, proliferation of weapons, and everything that may be related to transparency and integrity.
This is not the first time that Morocco has received international praise from an international reference body that devotes its proactive strategic vision to adopting the highest standards in combating money laundering and terrorist financing, in order to appear in the image of a successful country in its regional environment, which will undoubtedly reflect positively on deepening its role. Regional and gain broader sympathy for his issues, especially support for his approach in the Moroccan Sahara.
Moroccan academic and expert in international relations Hisham Moatadid confirmed in a statement to The Arab Weekly that Morocco’s exit from the gray list represents a significant political gain at the international level, given the close connection of this decision to international praise for the transparency of its financial and commercial mechanisms and their responsiveness to international standards in the financial sector.
Morocco was keen to strengthen its legal arsenal in the field of combating money laundering, by adopting a set of draft laws, at a time when state institutions worked to strengthen mechanisms aimed at preventing this type of practice.
The measures taken by the Kingdom focused on a package of legislative, regulatory, sensitization and control measures, which were implemented by the various concerned national authorities and institutions, in coordination with the National Financial Information Authority, and in partnership with legal persons subject to public or private law.
The exit from the gray list coincided with campaigns by European parties calling into question the Moroccan approach to strengthening its role regionally and internationally as a credible strategic, economic and commercial partner, especially as it strengthened its national legal and institutional system in the field of combating money laundering and terrorist financing, in addition to the passage of four years since the evaluation. which was subjected to in this field by the experts of the Financial Action Task Force.
Lakrini considered that the Kingdom of Morocco created the event from within France and the European Parliament, who tried to exploit their tension with Morocco in order to fabricate and fabricate crises and misleading and malicious campaigns to discredit it and influence its international standing, especially with regard to the FATF's conviction of the measures it took and their compatibility with international standards.
Mu'tadid agrees with that, saying that this international recognition from Paris comes as a refutation of the misleading media campaigns launched by French parties, and it constitutes a painful blow to the architects of this campaign and the emptying of its media contents at the international level.
At the beginning of this year, the Moroccan Public Prosecution Office launched a scientific guide that defines research and investigation techniques for money laundering and terrorist financing crimes. The guide provides practitioners in the field of criminal justice with the national and international legal framework for combating money laundering and terrorist financing.
And the Moroccan government considered that “the kingdom’s exit from the gray list will have a positive impact on the sovereign ratings and the ratings of local banks.”
She noted that the decision "will enhance Morocco's image and position during negotiations with international financial institutions, as well as the confidence of foreign investors in the country."
Abdellatif Jouahri, Governor of Bank Al-Maghrib (the Central Bank), said that a positive report from the International Working Group on Morocco serves as a basis for negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, stressing the importance of Morocco’s exit from the gray list in improving the sovereign rating with international rating agencies, and facilitating the exit of Treasury to the international market, ensuring better borrowing terms.
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