Moroccan premier in Tunisia
Tunisia-Morocco, Politics, 9/21/2000

Moroccan Prime Minister Abderrahmane Youssoufi flew to Tunisia this Thursday to co-chair with Tunisian peer, Mohamed Ghanouchi, the 8th session of the high joint commission.

The two states are scheduled to sign a package of agreements meant to improve the legal framework regulating cooperation between the two Maghreban states.

A delegation comprising ministers, businessmen and journalists is accompanying the prime minister during this visit, to wind up on September 23.

The commission is the highest cooperation body between the two states. It holds a regular meeting every year to assess trade exchanges.

Youssoufi told reporters upon departure the commission's 8th session will provide opportunity to consolidate bilateral relations mainly through the signing of new accords and the following up of the implementation of existing agreements.

The visit, he added, is part of the deeply rooted consultation tradition that is maintained and promoted by King Mohammed VI and President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, and will be an opportunity for the two sides to go further towards the consolidation of bilateral cooperation in all realms.

In 1999, bilateral trade exchanges amounted to $ 75.99 million, with Morocco's imports from Tunisia totaling $37.16 million and exports amounting to $ 38.83 million.

Morocco's exports to Tunisia are mainly made up of chemical wood paste, soluble coffee, tires, car spare parts, and industrial oils. The kingdom's imports from Tunisia consist of plastic items, electric transformers and TV sets.

At the level of the Arab states, Morocco is Tunisia's second client and supplier, soaking 10.3 % of Tunisia's exports and providing 12.2 % of the north African country's imports. At the overall level of their exchanges, Tunisia is Morocco's 21st client and 32nd supplier.

Morocco and Tunisia are bound by an agreement setting up a free trade area that was concluded in March 1999. The accord provides for the suppression --as of the signing date-- of all duties on some 2,000 non-agricultural products carrying below 10 % custom duties.

The other custom duties will be gradually lowered up to year 2007.

The Moroccan center for exports promotion will hold on the sidelines of the high joint commission proceedings, a forum on incentives to the free-trade area accord and on complementarity strategies. The two countries' employers associations, Moroccan CGEM and Tunisian UTICA, will hold Friday morning a breakfast-debate during which the two Prime Ministers will expound their approach to the two countries' economic integration.

The large ministerial delegation accompanying the Prime Minister includes the minister of foreign affairs and cooperation, Mohamed Benaissa, the minister of the interior, Ahmed El Midaoui, the Minister of industry, trade, energy and mining, Mustapha Mansouri, Minister of Employment, vocational training, social Development and Solidarity, Abbas El Fassi, and Minister in charge of territory development, urbanism, housing and environment, Mohamed El Yazghi.

Morocco and Tunisia are bound to the European Union by separate association accords that provide, inter alia, for the creation of free exchange areas by year 2010 and are both member of the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA), set up in 1989, and that also musters Algeria, Libya and Mauritania.

Previous Stories:
  al-Yousefi to visit Tunisia   (9/20/2000)
  Tunisian secretary of state for foreign affairs in Rabat   (9/7/2000)
  Morocco, Tunisia agree to implement fisheries program   (7/6/2000)
  Tunisian businessmen want strong Moroccan- Tunisian trade   (5/26/2000)
  Mohammed VI, Ben Ali review cooperation   (5/25/2000)
  Moroccan, Tunisian business council meets   (5/20/2000)

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