Opening and Adoption of the Agenda

The 6^th assembly of ALADIN partners held at Casablanca in Morocco, opened at 09:00 on January 14^th. It was chaired by M. Azzedine Diouri, the Director of the Moroccan Meteorology Direction (DMN). The chairman welcomed the participants including the ECMWF representative invited as an observer, on behalf of DMN. M. Diouri reminded the NWP development plan followed by DMN and the efforts deployed since 1999 to implement and maintain a NWP activity component in Casablanca. He stressed the importance for Morocco to participate in such an ambitious program and the high regard that DMN have for Albachir products. Then, the draft agenda was discussed and a suggestion from France concerning the introduction of an item related to cooperation with the African countries, was introduced under the AOB topics. The agenda and a list of participants are annexed to this report.