On the occasion of the official opening of the Rabat office, Périn Saint-Ange, Associate Vice-President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), recalled that the first project that IFAD had signed in Morocco dated back 36 years. "We are convinced that this office will only strengthen the already close ties that unite us with the Moroccan government", he declared in a statement. Since 1979, IFAD has financed 13 projects in Morocco, for 222 million dollars. Over the last decade, IFAD has granted the country more than 21 million dollars in the form of grants for the benefit of 750,000 households living in mountainous areas. In 2014, IFAD and the government agreed to implement a long-term rural development programme, the objective being to reduce poverty by 30% by 2030. For now, three projects are underway in the provinces of Al Haouz, Taza, Sefrou, and Azilal. Their cost amounts to 100 million dollars, of which 57 million are financed by IFAD in the form of loans on particularly favourable terms and grants. A new project will cover the provinces of Ouarzazate, Tinghir, Midelt, Khenifra, and Beni Mellal. Its cost is estimated at 65 million dollars. Since Morocco was chosen to host COP22, IFAD has granted the Ministry of Agriculture a grant of 450,000 dollars.