Morocco, Mauritania sign several cooperation accords
Morocco-Mauritania, Politics, 2/1/2002

Morocco and Mauritania signed in Rabat Thursday twelve protocols and agreements covering cooperation the realms of trade, industry, energy, transport, merchant navy, justice, communication, handicraft, agriculture, and vocational training.

The agreements were signed during the second session of the Moroccan-Mauritanian high joint commission held Thursday under the co-chairmanship of the two states' Prime Ministers, Abderrahmane Youssoufi and Cheikh Al Afia Ould Mohamed Khouna.

Two of the protocols set up a joint consultative commission on civil matters, and a joint technical commission for coordination and consultation in matters of sea products marketing. The Moroccan and Mauritanian radio and TV networks also signed a cooperation agreement and a cooperation accord was signed between the federation of Moroccan chambers of industry, trade and services and the Mauritanian chamber of commerce.

During the plenary session of the joint commission second session, the Moroccan and Mauritanian Prime Ministers have both voiced determination to upgrade trade relations to the level of the excellent political ties existing between the two countries.

The two sides agreed to further talks to conclude a new trade accord that will replace the one signed in the eighties in a bid to promote trade exchanges that did not exceed 148 million Dirhams in 2000 (nearly US$ 12.86 million). Morocco's exports to Mauritania are assessed at 147.56 million DH while the kingdom's imports from its Maghreban partner stand at merely 300,000 DH. The new agreement will mainly seek to lower custom barriers in the perspective of the signing of a free trade accord and trade and tariff accords.

On the sidelines of the joint commission meeting, the Moroccan-Mauritanian business council held its first meeting in Rabat Wednesday.

The council's session was attended by scores of Moroccan and Mauritanian businessmen from the sectors of fisheries, tourism, banking, merchant navy, energy and telecommunication, and by the two countries' ministers of trade, Mustapha Mansouri and Aslamou Ould Abdelkader.

Participants surveyed the administrative and judicial constraints hampering economic cooperation between the two countries and urged private operators to benefit from the political will voiced by the two countries' leaders to promote investments, consolidate partnership and increase the flow of trade exchanges.

The members of the council, set up in June 2000 in Noukchott during the first session of the Moroccan-Mauritanian high joint commission, pledged to expound to the two countries' operators the economic and investment opportunities existing in either country and to talk them to promote exchanges of goods and services. The council members underlined the importance of bilateral economic cooperation in fostering Maghreban integration.

Mauritania and Morocco are both members of the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA) that also musters Algeria, Libya and Tunisia.

Previous Stories:
  King Mohammed receives Mauritanian premier   (1/30/2002)
  Moroccan-Mauritanian cooperation meets this month in Rabat   (1/12/2002)
  Morocco, Mauritania study cooperation in equipment   (11/27/2001)

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