Morocco, Tunisia sign nine cooperation agreements
Tunisia-Morocco, Politics, 9/22/2000

Morocco and Tunisia signed in Tunis Thursday evening nine cooperation agreements dealing with security, civil protection, local communities, housing, environment, and women promotion.

The agreements were signed at the end of the 8th session of the Moroccan-Tunisian high joint commission held under the co-chairmanship of the two countries' prime ministers, Abderrahmane Youssoufi and Mohamed Ghannouchi.

Three agreements, initialed by Moroccan and Tunisian ministers of the interior, Ahmed El Midaoui and Abdellah Kellal, deal with security, regional and local territorial administration, and civilians rescue operations.

The foreign ministers, Mohamed Benaissa and Habib Ben Yahya, signed an addendum to the diplomatic and consular cooperation accord and an agreement on land transport of persons and goods.

Two agreements-- initialed by Moroccan Minister in charge of territory development, urbanism, housing and environment, Mohamed El Yazghi, and Tunisian minister of equipment and housing, Salaheddine Belaid-- cover environment protection as well as housing and urbanism.

Moroccan Minister of Employment, vocational training, social Development and Solidarity, Abbas El Fassi, and Tunisian minister of social affairs, Chedli Neffati, signed the 2000-20002 executive programs of two cooperation accords dealing with social affairs and the promotion of family and women.

Youssoufi and Ghannouchi signed the minutes of the high commission 8th session.

In an exchange of addresses during the session, the two prime ministers voiced satisfaction at the level of bilateral cooperation and said a shared political, regular meetings, the shared destiny and the convergence of standpoints prompt optimism as to the future of Moroccan-Tunisian relations.

The two prime ministers underlined the positive impact of the free-trade area on the two north African countries economies and called for promoting trade exchanges and enlarging the scope of cooperation.

The free-trade area was set up in March 1999 under an accord providing 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.

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.

The role of the free-trade area was also highlighted at a Tunisian-Moroccan partnership day held on the sidelines of the commission meeting under the co-chairmanship of Moroccan minister of trade, industry, energy and mining, Mustapha Mansouri and Tunisian minister of Trade, Mondher Zenaidi.

Participants in the event called for further efforts to increase the volume of trade exchanges from the current $ 77 million to $ 200 million a year.

Youssoufi and his accompanying delegation, made up of five ministers, some forty businessmen and several journalists, were guest Thursday evening to a dinner hosted in their honor by Tunisian premier.

The Moroccan premier is to be received this Friday by Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and will hold a press briefing Saturday morning before flying back home.

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

Both 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, together with Algeria, Libya and Mauritania, member of the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA), set up in 1989.

Previous Stories:
  Moroccan premier in Tunisia   (9/21/2000)
  al-Yousefi to visit Tunisia   (9/20/2000)
  Tunisian secretary of state for foreign affairs in Rabat   (9/7/2000)

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