Morocco Partially Reshuffles Government

Photo of King Mohammed VI and members of the government (MAP)
Photo of King Mohammed VI and members of the government (MAP)
TT

Morocco Partially Reshuffles Government

Photo of King Mohammed VI and members of the government (MAP)
Photo of King Mohammed VI and members of the government (MAP)

Morocco saw this week a partial cabinet reshuffle, official sources announced.

The ministers of education, higher education, agriculture, health, and transport and logistics were changed, but several key figures retained their posts, including the ministers of interior, foreign affairs, justice and religion, according to Reuters.

Amine Tahraoui was appointed Health Minister, replacing Khalid Ait Taleb while Azzedine El Midaoui is now the new Minister of Higher Education, replacing Abdelatif Miraoui.

Mohamed Saad Berrada replaced Chakib Benmoussa as the new Minister of Education. Benmoussa was appointed last week to lead the High Commission for Planning (HCP)—a pivotal governmental body responsible for shaping national development policies.

Also, Ahmed Bouari will replace Mohamed Sadiki as Minister of Agriculture, while Naima Ben Yahia will replace Aawatif Hayar as Minister of Solidarity and Family.

The reshuffle included the appointment of Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni as the country’s minister Delegate to the Head of Government in Charge of Digital Transition to replace Ghita Mezzour.

Also, six new secretaries of State were appointed while Abdessamad Kayouh will take on the Ministry of Transport and Logistics.

The Moroccan official news agency, MAP, said that King Mohammed VI met on Wednesday with Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch and members of the government in its new form following the reshuffle.

The new ministers were then sworn in before the King.



EU’s Kallas Says She Hopes for Political Agreement on Easing Syria Sanctions

In this photograph taken on January 12, 2025, a vendor waits for customers at her mobile shop in the Damascus Tower market, which specializes in the smart phone business, in the Syrian capital. (AFP)
In this photograph taken on January 12, 2025, a vendor waits for customers at her mobile shop in the Damascus Tower market, which specializes in the smart phone business, in the Syrian capital. (AFP)
TT

EU’s Kallas Says She Hopes for Political Agreement on Easing Syria Sanctions

In this photograph taken on January 12, 2025, a vendor waits for customers at her mobile shop in the Damascus Tower market, which specializes in the smart phone business, in the Syrian capital. (AFP)
In this photograph taken on January 12, 2025, a vendor waits for customers at her mobile shop in the Damascus Tower market, which specializes in the smart phone business, in the Syrian capital. (AFP)

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Wednesday she hopes a political agreement on easing Syria sanctions can be reached at a gathering of European ministers next week.

EU foreign ministers will discuss the situation in Syria during a meeting in Brussels on Jan. 27.

European officials began rethinking their approach towards Syria after Bashar al-Assad was ousted as president by opposition forces led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, which the United Nations designates as a terrorist group.

Some European capitals want to move quickly to suspend economic sanctions in a signal of support for the transition in Damascus. Others have sought to ensure that even if some sanctions are eased, Brussels retains leverage in its relationship with the new Syrian authorities.

“We are ready to do step-for-step approach and also to discuss what is the fallback position,” Kallas told Reuters in an interview.

“If we see that the developments are going in the wrong direction, then we are also willing to put them back,” she added.

Six EU member states called this month for the bloc to temporarily suspend sanctions on Syria in areas such as transport, energy and banking.

Current EU sanctions include a ban on Syrian oil imports and a freeze on any Syrian central bank assets in Europe.