Prince Albert of Monaco confers with Moroccan officials, businessmen
Morocco-Monaco, Politics, 3/13/2001

Prince Albert of Monaco who started Sunday a three-day official visit to Morocco, conferred at his residence here Monday evening with Moroccan Premier Abderrahmane Youssoufi on relations between Morocco and Monaco in the economic, commercial and environmental realms.

Prince Albert who had been received Monday noon by King Mohammed VI was guest later in the evening to a dinner hosted in his honor by Prince Moulay Rachid, the sovereign's younger brother.

In Casablanca, Prince Albert attended a meeting between Moroccan and Monegasque businessmen, sponsored by the Monaco chamber of economic development and the Casablanca chamber of commerce, industry and services.

Prince Albert voiced Monaco's determination to upgrade relations with Morocco and underlined the principality's overture onto the Mediterranean as well as its international radiance at the levels of culture, arts and sports.

He also surveyed the performance of Monegasque economy, which is based, he said, on tourism, industry, services and public works. Monaco, he added, provides 34,000 jobs to its 36,000 inhabitants, boasts sound public finances and leads an ambitious investment policy.

Echoing him, Chairman of the Monaco chamber of economic development, Michel Pastor said the Principality's economy last year posted a turnover of 47.8 billion French Francs. The performing hotel industry provides jobs to 12 per cent of the active population, the banking sector posts more than 330 billion FF of deposits, in addition to outstanding performance in the sectors of infrastructures, telecommunication, trade and exchanges, he said.

Member of the Monegasque delegation and tourism general delegate, Dario Dell'Antonio, told MAP Monaco represents a potential market for the Morocco bound, adding that Morocco's image in the principality is "very good." He said Morocco has a huge tourism potential and can benefit from Monaco's experience in matters of tourism promotion and hotels construction and extension.

Dario Dell'Antonio said he "was very attached" to Morocco, a country where he was manager of several luxury hotels some 30 years ago.

Monday was also marked by the signing of a convention for the surveillance and control of air pollution in the city of Rabat.

The agreement, initialed by Morocco's minister of land development, town planning, housing and environment, Mohamed El Yazghi, and Patrick Leclercq, Monaco's state minister, provides for carrying out a major project meant to transfer know-how in air monitoring and equipment purchase.

Under the convention, the principality will grant Morocco 430,000 French Francs in assistance to buy new devices for the surveillance of air pollution in Rabat and will finance the training in Monaco of a Moroccan team. A group of Monegasque technicians will also be staying in Morocco to finalize the project.

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  Prince Albert of Monaco pays official visit to Morocco   (3/12/2001)

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