Morocco, China sign package of agreements
Morocco-China, Economics, 8/29/2002

Morocco and China signed in Rabat Tuesday five agreements on cooperation in economics, technology and culture.

The signing ceremony was co-chaired by Morocco's Prime Minister, Abderrahmane Youssoufi and his Chinese peer, Zhu Rongji, currently on an official visit to Morocco.

Under one of the accords, China will extend Morocco an interest-free loan worth 40 million Dirham (US 3.8 million dollars). Another agreement, initialed in April 2002, deals with non-double taxation, while a third covers the sectors of urbanism and housing.

The two sides also proceeded to an exchange of letters related to a 6.7 million Dirham (US$ 638,095) grant destined to finance the elaboration of regional geochemical maps and to an equipment donation worth 1.07 million Dirham (US$ 95,238).

The agreements were signed by Moroccan state secretary of foreign affairs and cooperation, Taib Fassi Fihri, head of the Chinese state commission of development planning, Zeng Peiyan, and Chinese vice-minister of foreign affairs, Yang Wenchang.

Zhu Rongji and Youssoufi held the same day tete-a-tete talks that were followed by a working session attended by members of the two cabinets.

During the talks Youssoufi expressed hopes for further cooperation between China and Morocco to make up for the deficit in their commercial exchanges. The two countries enjoy a sincere friendship based on equality, dialogue and mutual respect, Youssoufi told reporters after his meeting with his Chinese peer.

Youssoufi voiced support to the unity of China and rejection of artificial entities or colonial residues persisting on Chinese territory. "We constantly back China at international forums whenever its interests are targeted," he said.

He underscored the quality and intensity of Moroccan-Chinese ties, saying that over the past four years, Morocco and China signed thirty out of the fifty accords and protocols concluded since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1958.

Echoing him, Zhu Rongji said political ties between the two countries have been healthy since the establishment of diplomatic ties 44 years ago while cooperation in economics, trade, culture, education and health has been fruitful. Zhu said bilateral economic and trade cooperation has made progress in recent years and cooperation in fisheries serves as a model of mutually beneficial cooperation.

Describing his talks with Youssoufi as "friendly and constructive," Zhu Rongji said the two sides exchanged standpoints on bilateral and international issues. The two countries have converging stands. There is no divergence of principle between them, he said.

He said he expressed to his Moroccan interlocutors the thanks of the Chinese government and people for Morocco's support to China in international forums as well as for its constant support to China's candidacy to host the Universal Exhibition in 2010.

Recalling Chinese President Jiang Zemin's visit to Morocco in October 1999 and the return visit by King Mohammed VI last February, Zhu said the two leaders have pointed out the way for further development of Sino-Moroccan ties.

He said both China and Morocco have aspirations to expand political exchanges and economic cooperation between them and share the same goal of promoting South-South cooperation and working for the establishment of a new political and economic world order.

Morocco is the second leg of Zhu's four-nation African tour that already took him to Algeria. After Morocco he will visit Cameroon and will then travel to South Africa for the Earth Summit in Johannesburg.

Previous Stories:
  King Mohammed dedicates regional investment center of Casablanca region   (8/24/2002)
  Investments opportunities in Morocco publicized in China   (5/31/2002)
  Moroccan, Chinese businessmen meet in rabat   (5/23/2002)
  Chinese business mission to visit Morocco may 19-24   (5/16/2002)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search