Agadir declaration on free trade zone, statement by royal palace spokesman
Morocco-Regional, Economics, 5/9/2001

The official spokesman for the royal palace, Hassan Aourid, made a statement after the Agadir declaration on the setting up of an Arab free trade zone was signed in a ceremony in Agadir, under the chairmanship of King Mohammed VI.

The spokesman said the accord was signed following an initiative by King Mohammed VI, who had called the latest Arab summit held in Amman last March to "grant priority to economic, technological and scientific cooperation and to overcome ideological differences and political strives."

"This initiative is a starting point towards the consolidation of Arab action and towards better prospects," the spokesman said adding it marks the beginning of a new era where economic questions, under their various dimensions, will be granted priority and utmost interest.

These questions will be pondered over according to a new methodology and a new vision taking into account Arabs' shared interests and the future of mounting generations, the spokesman said.

"What has been achieved today in Agadir is a first step towards setting up the Great Arab Free Trade zone. and establishing an Arab strong and complementary economic space," the spokesman said.

He added that Arab groupings, mainly the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA, mustering Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC, formed by Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab emirates) have started dialogue with the European Union, to which they are bound by various accords. The GCC members covered strides in their dialogue with the EU thanks to their cohesion and unified stand.

"With the signing of this Declaration, we start a new era... ahead of the 2010 deadline for a free trade zone in the Euro-Mediterranean area," the spokesman said, expressing hope that the drive will not be limited only to accords but will be translated into reality.

The Agadir Declaration was signed by the foreign ministers of Morocco, Jordan, Tunisia and Egypt, in the presence of the foreign ministers of Algeria, Libya and Mauritania and representatives of Syria, Lebanon and Palestine.

The signing ceremony, held at the royal palace in the southern Atlantic city of Agadir, was attended by Prince Moulay Rachid.

The Declaration points out that the decision was prompted by the four countries' confidence as to the need to back Arab cooperation in order to set up a large Arab free trade area and contribute to the creation of a common Arab Market.

It recalls that the four countries, which are bound at the bilateral level by accords setting up free trade areas and which have signed partnership accords with the European Union, are convinced as to the need to establish a strong economic space to achieve a global development and face up the challenges, constraints and requirements of globalization.

The decision was also made in line with the Arab League charter and the principles stated in the World Trade Organization conventions, in the perspective of the setting up of a Euro-Mediterranean free trade area by 2010, and given the importance of liberalizing trade exchanges and of partnership between Arab-Mediterranean countries, through new formula adapted to modern economic orientations on the regional and international arena.

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