Moroccan premier flies to Beirut
Morocco-Lebanon, Politics, 10/19/2001

Moroccan Premier, Abderrahmane Youssoufi, flew this Friday to Beirut on a three-day official visit to Lebanon, during which he will co-chair with his Lebanese peer, Rafic Hariri, the first meeting of the Moroccan-Lebanese High joint commission.

Youssoufi will be received by Lebanese President, General emile Lahoud, and will confer with speaker of the parliament, Nabih Berri. He will also meet the Arab ambassadors accredited to Beirut as well as the Lebanese and foreign media in the Lebanese capital.

Youssoufi told reporters upon departure the purpose of his visit is to look into bilateral cooperation and in the draft agreements under consideration.

The visit provides a propitious opportunity to conduct political consultations with the Lebanese side and to explore new promising cooperation prospects, Youssoufi said.

Morocco is pinning great hopes on the meeting of the high joint commission, the first since the commission was set up in 1997, he said, adding that the meeting will also discuss the possibility to set up a free trade area between Morocco and Lebanon.

This area, he added, will be part of the Agadir Declaration, setting up a free trade zone between Arab-Mediterranean countries.

The Agadir declaration, signed last May by Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisian provides that the free trade area between the four signatory countries will be extended to six other Arab countries, namely Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine, awaiting the ultimate goal to establish a Euro-Mediterranean free trade zone of 27 countries by 2010.

The commission session, convening October 20-21, will highlight by the signing of eight accords, related to non-double taxation, struggle against tax evasion, encouragement and protection of investments, and cooperation in the realms of economy, culture, tourism and environment protection.

The meeting will also be marked by the signing of a memorandum of understanding on the setting up of a free-trade area between Morocco and Lebanon and a protocol of cooperation between the two countries' agriculture departments.

Youssoufi is accompanied by a large ministerial delegation, including minister of foreign affairs and cooperation, Mohamed Benaissa, minister of agriculture and rural development, Ismail Alaoui, minister of industry, trade, energy and mines, Mustapha Mansouri, minister of transport and merchant navy, Abdeslam Znined, and minister of culture and communication, Mohamed Al Achaari.

Businessmen, economic operators and journalists are also part of the delegation.

After Beirut, the Prime Minister will visit Damascus and Amman to chair the meetings of the Moroccan-Syrian and Moroccan-Jordanian joint commissions.

Previous Stories:
  Moroccan-Lebanese high joint commission convenes first session in beirut   (10/18/2001)
  Morocco's Princess Lalla Meryem winds visit to Lebanon   (7/20/2001)
  Lebanon's Lahoud Meets Princess Lalla Meryem   (7/18/2001)

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