Italian official calls for enhanced cooperation with Morocco
Morocco-Italy, Economics, 2/3/2000

Italian Foreign Trade Minister Piero Fassino has called for the consolidation of cooperation between Morocco and Italy to exploit the opportunities offered by the two countries.

The Italian minister told MAP his official visit to Morocco this February 1-2 is evidence to Italian officials' determination to consolidate partnership ties and to establish balanced and mutually advantageous relations with Morocco.

Moroccan officials are prompted by the same determination, he said, and a "promising future" is in store for Moroccan-Italian relations that he described as "very good."

Morocco which is in a phase of industrialization and economic overture provides a very favorable frame to promote partnership.

He added that his talks with Moroccan officials have focused on economic and financial cooperation and covered several sectors-- agriculture, agribusiness, tourism, privatization, telecommunication, infrastructure, telecommunications and fisheries.

Regarding fishery cooperation, he said a meeting will be held shortly with Moroccan officials and fishery professionals to explore a new cooperation form. "We want to cooperate with Morocco in the fishery field and to work together to set up fish canning, processing and marketing joint ventures," Fassino said.

Touching on relations between the European Union and south Mediterranean countries, the Italian official said the association accords between the two sides are meant to structure relations at the political, economic and social levels, the ultimate goal being integration. He added that Europe seeks to make of the Mediterranean the southern extension of Europe.

Morocco's relations with the European Union were actually discussed by Moroccan officials and the Italian guest who described as "historic" the conclusion of the Morocco-European Union association accord that comes into force as of next March. The accord--which provides for the gradual establishment of a free-trade area over 12 years and for the consolidation of economic, cultural and social cooperation-- has been ratified by the European parliament as well as by the parliaments of Morocco and the 15 EU member states. It is the third of the kind after those with Palestine that came into force in July 1997 and with Tunisia, enforced as of March 1998.

Previous Stories:
  Moroccan-Italian joint working group set up   (2/2/2000)
  Economic cooperation, focus of Italian minister's talks in Morocco   (2/2/2000)
  Italian foreign trade minister in Morocco   (2/1/2000)

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