French exhibition in Morocco in October
Morocco-France, Economics, 9/25/2001

An outstanding French exhibition, France-Expo 2001, will be held in Casablanca next October 2 through 5, with the participation of more than 320 exhibitors.

France, which is Morocco's first foreign client and supplier, seeks to consolidate its presence in this country that it considers as one of "the great development poles" in the African continent, France's ambassador to Morocco, Michel de Bonnecorse, told reporters in Casablanca Monday.

The showcase of French products and know-how is meant to seek new industrial and commercial partnerships, the organizers said at a meeting with the media organized by the French chamber of commerce and industry in Morocco.

The ambassador underlined the growing interest evidenced by French operators in doing business with Morocco, saying that 320 enterprises will participate in the event instead of the initial 250.

The event features colloquiums and lectures on new technologies, agri-business and environment protection.

According to official figures, French-Moroccan trade reached FF 36 billion in 2000 compared to FF 32.6 billion in 1999, posting a surplus of FF 2.99 billion in favor of France in 2000, in view of the increase of Moroccan imports of cereals in 2000, the country having been affected by a severe drought.

France is Morocco's first supplier, providing 24 % of the Kingdom's imports, and first client, soaking 34 % of its exports.

France ranked first in 2000 among foreign investors in the kingdom, and maintained this rank in 2001 after French Videndi Universal purchased 35 % of the capital of the Moroccan phone operator Maroc Telecom for 23 billion Dirhams (about $ 2.09 billion).

French groups Lafarge, Auchan, Club Mediteranee and Accor are planning to invest in projects in Morocco a total amount of 4.5 billion DH (about $410 million).

More than 500 French enterprises are operating branches in Morocco, providing more than 65,000 jobs. 14 out of the 15 most outstanding French industrial groups are present in Morocco.

Previous Stories:
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  Moroccan and french telecoms watchdog institutions sign cooperation agreement   (7/11/2001)
  Head of French employers: Morocco boasts considerable assets for foreign investors   (6/20/2001)

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