Morocco, Guinea sign package of agreements
Morocco-Guinea, Economics, 5/4/2002

Morocco and Guinea signed in Rabat Thursday a package of agreements covering cooperation in various areas.

The 7 agreements were signed at the end of the 5th session of the Moroccan-Guinean joint cooperation commission convened in Rabat April 30 through May 2.

The agreements deal with cooperation in the sectors of information, tourism, promotion and reciprocal protection of investments, and higher education and scientific research. The two sides also signed a program on the implementation of the cultural and scientific cooperation accord over the 2002-2004 period.

They equally signed a memorandum of understanding on industrial cooperation and a cooperation protocol on the setting up in Guinea of a higher institution of trade and enterprises management (ISCAE-Guinea).

On the sidelines of the session, the federation of Moroccan chambers of commerce, industry and services and Guinea's chamber of commerce, industry and handicraft signed an accord setting up a business council.

It has also been decided to convene the 3rd session of the technical and commercial committee shortly to enlarge the list of products to be exempted from custom-duties.

Trade exchanges between the two countries are still low. Morocco's imports from Guinea are made up of coffee, wood and cotton while its exports to the African country consist of ready-to-wear, canned food and shoes.

The joint commission session was co-chaired by the two countries' foreign ministers, Mohamed Benaissa and Ms Camara Hadja Mahawa Bangoura.

Benaissa called during the commission closing session for enhancing south-south cooperation.

"The setting up of big economic groupings in other continents and the geo-political changes sweeping over the world prompt us to double efforts to upgrade south-south cooperation, mainly in Africa where an acting solidarity is necessary more than ever before," he said.

He hailed the spirit of understanding and friendship having marked the commission proceedings and said the positive results reached and the new accords signed will open promising prospects to bilateral relations.

Echoing him, the Guinean foreign minister said this session enabled to reactivate Moroccan-Guinean cooperation on new bases. She said the two sides opted for a realistic program, stressing the need to involve public and private institutions in promoting trade exchanges, tourism, communication, agriculture, mining, health, and education.

The just concluded accords, she said, will energize bilateral cooperation and make of it a model of south-south cooperation.

The commission 6th session will be held in Guinea in 2004.

Previous Stories:
  Moroccan-Guinean high joint commission meets in Rabat   (4/30/2002)
  Morocco, Guinea to set up business council   (3/14/2002)
  Morocco, Guinea assess fisheries cooperation   (10/14/1999)

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