Moroccan-French meeting on eastern Morocco development
Morocco-France, Economics, 1/29/2000

A Moroccan-French meeting was held in Oujda on Friday to probe means of giving a new momentum to the economic, social and cultural development of the eastern regions of the kingdom.

The meeting was conducted at the level of three commissions, dealing with decentralization, economy, infrastructure and housing and education and culture.

On the sidelines of the meeting, a partnership and cooperation convention was concluded between the Moroccan agency for the development of the northern provinces and an association of French nationals who were born or who lived in Morocco.

The convention seeks to promote cooperation in the field of tourism, technology transfer, and university exchanges.

The meeting was held on the occasion of the visit a French delegation, including former minister and mayor of Beaurepaire, Christian Nucci, paid to the region Thursday and Friday.

The Delegation held meetings with local authorities, elected representatives, economic operators and representatives of the civil society on local development.

Field visits to projects financed by the French development agency were also scheduled. Water supply, sanitation, and housing are among the fields covered by these projects.

In parallel to this visit, the French embassy in Rabat transferred during these two days all of its services to the Eastern city of Oujda.

The move is meant to express French backing to Morocco's territorial planning policy and to renew the priority that French cooperation grants to the northern provinces, a statement by the French embassy had said.

France's ambassador to Morocco, Michel De Bonnecorse, expressed hope at a function here that the city of Oujda will become very shortly the beating heart of the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA, mustering Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia) as is the French city of Strasbourg for Europe.

The city's strategic location, mainly its proximity to Europe and to the other Maghreban countries, and the infrastructure it boasts can make of it a major development pole and a free trade area in the region, the diplomat said.

Previous Stories:
  120 trucks and produce cargo directly shipped to Marseille   (1/27/2000)
  French delegation visits eastern Morocco   (1/27/2000)
  French chamber of trade and industry discloses 6 month program   (1/22/2000)

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