Morocco, a ‘bright spot’ in terms of education and Infrastructure- IMF Chief

Morocco is a “bright spot” and an “excellent example” for the rest of the continent, particularly in terms of education and infrastructure, stressed, on Sunday in Marrakech, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva.

Speaking at a press conference on the eve of the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and IMF, which kicks off this Monday, Georgieva outlined the “recipe” for prosperity used everywhere, mentioning the crucial role of education and “good” infrastructure, including in the digital field, in addition to the rule of law.

Morocco embodies these three ingredients of development, she said, expressing hope that other countries, particularly in Africa, will follow in the Kingdom’s footsteps in their quest for prosperity.

The IMF Managing Director said she had been impressed by the resilience and solidarity shown by the Moroccan people in the wake of the earthquake that struck certain regions of the Kingdom.

Asked about the hosting of the 2030 World Cup by Morocco, Spain and Portugal, Georgieva stressed that the Kingdom “deserved it”, recalling the “impressive” performance of the Atlas Lions at the Qatar 2023 World Cup and that of the women’s team at the last edition of the World Cup held jointly by New Zealand and Australia.

The 2030 World Cup is a “celebration of three continents”, she said.

Also on Sunday, Kristina Georgieva donned the Moroccan national team jersey and played in a friendly match between former Moroccan national team players and figures from both financial institutions, as a prelude to the WB/IMF annual meetings.

The match organized by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) at the Grand Stade in Marrakech, saw the participation, besides Kristina Georgieva, of Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group, Abdellatif Jouahri, the Governor of Bank Al-Maghrib, Nadia Fettah, Minister of Economy and Finance, Mehdi Bensaïd, Minister of Youth & Culture, and Fouzi Lekjaa, President of the FRMF.

Approximately 2,600 children from schools in the Al Haouz region, which was struck by the earthquake on September 8th, were invited to attend this special sporting encounter.