Morocco offers to share counter-terror experiences with India

Morocco has offered to share its experiences on counter-terror and de-radicalisation initiatives with India, the Union home ministry has said.

This was conveyed during a meeting between Moroccan Interior Minister Noureddine Boutayeb and Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju here last evening.

Boutayeb said Morocco is emerging as a key counter-terror and de-radicalisation partner in North Africa and would like to share with India its experiences in this field, a home ministry statement said.

Rijiju responded positively to the offer and said India has been a long sufferer of terrorism and is taking steps to counter this problem effectively.
 

The Moroccan minister, who is currently visiting India, is leading a composite delegation from various ministries dealing with information and communication technology and socio-economic programmes and Morocco's National Bank.

During the week-long visit, the team will study the Indian experience of Aadhaar, Crime, Criminal Tracking Network and System (CCTNS) and benefits like direct benefit transfer, gas subsidy and digitised banking systems, the statement said.

Boutayeb expressed happiness over the implementation of the Aadhaar scheme in a big democracy like India with a population of over 1.25 billion in the shortest possible time.

He said Morocco is also in the process of implementing programmes based on the socio-economic model of India and that his delegation's primary focus is to learn from the experiences of India's model of development and socio-economic reforms.

Rijiju also briefed him about various initiatives like CCTNS, a mission mode project under the national e- governance plan which will help modernise the police force and envisages national wide networking enabling share of information between police stations, state officers and security agencies.

He requested the Moroccan side for a liberal visa regime for Indian citizens to enable more people to people contacts and also facilitate visas to the business community on both sides.

Rijiju also requested for expeditious conclusion of Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty. The Moroccan side requested for e-visa facility to Moroccan citizens.