Moroccan premier winds up visit to Pakistan
Morocco-Pakistan, Politics, 4/19/2001

Moroccan Prime Minister, Abderrahmane Youssoufi, flew back home early Thursday at the end of a three-day official visit to Pakistan, at the invitation of chief executive, General Pervez Musharraf.

Youssoufi described the outcome of the visit, the first ever by a Moroccan Premier to the Asian country, as "positive" and highlighted the longstanding deep friendship existing between the two countries.

He told reporters upon return that this friendship will be further consolidated thanks to the cooperation accords signed during the visit and to the Moroccan-Pakistani high joint commission which will hold a meeting next September in Rabat.

Youssoufi's visit was actually marked by the signing of five cooperation agreements meant to enhance relations between the two countries in various areas.

Besides the agreement setting up the joint cooperation commission, the two sides set up a commission for political consultation between the two countries' foreign departments and signed three other agreements related to the promotion and protection of investments, to cooperation in the sector of tourism, and to cooperation in the sector of merchant navy.

The Moroccan and Pakistani federations of chambers of commerce and industry on their part signed a memorandum of understanding Wednesday in Karachi.

During the signing ceremony, co-chaired by Youssoufi and Pakistani minister of food and agriculture, Khair Mohamed Junero, the Moroccan Prime Minister asked Pakistani businessmen to raise the volume of bilateral trade between the two countries and urged Moroccan and Pakistani economic operators to consolidate economic relations, which remain below the level of the political relations.

In 1999, the global volume of exchanges was worth only some 500 million DH (about $ 50 million). Pakistan ranks 68th among Morocco's suppliers and 32d among its clients. It imports from the kingdom natural and chemical fertilizers, phosphates, pneumatics and lead. Morocco's imports from the Asian country are made up of fabric, synthetic fibers, cotton, leather, skins and cotton thread.

"I think that it's time to set up a joint business council as an instrument to work regularly in a complementary framework in translating the objectives of businessmen into real projects," he remarked.

Youssoufi pointed out that both Pakistan and Morocco have human and material potentials as well as companies and institutions, which enable them to compete rival international companies in several specialties.

After he noted that both countries are endeavoring to integrate world economy, he invited the Pakistani companies to explore the Moroccan market by participating in the international bidding and the exhibitions organized in the Kingdom to promote their products. He also called Pakistani businessmen to establish cooperation partnership with their Moroccan counterparts.

On Tuesday, The Rabat and Islamabad Chambers of Commerce and Industry had also signed a cooperation agreement.

Previous Stories:
  Moroccan-Pakistani relations shall progress, prime minister   (4/18/2001)
  Moroccan-Pakistani high joint commission meets in September in Rabat   (4/18/2001)
  Moroccan premier meets Arab ambassadors accredited to Pakistan   (4/17/2001)

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