No US-EU competition in concluding free trade accords with morocco
Morocco-USA, Economics, 1/24/2003

The United States said the conclusion of free trade accords between Washington and Morocco, and the latter and the European Union (EU) should not be seen from "the angle of competition between powers."

The statement was made by Robert Zoellick, US Trade Representative, as Morocco and US negotiators started on Tuesday in Washington talks for a free-trade agreement.

The US official was reacting to recent reports that French external trade Minister, Francois Loos, said there is an "incompatibility" in Morocco's conducting at the same time free trade negotiations with the USA and with the EU.

"We want Morocco to have good commercial relations with Europe and with the United States and that it enjoys more options," Zoellick said.

Morocco is tied to the EU by an Association Accord that provides for the entry into force of a bilateral free trade area by 2010. The North African country is also poised to be the fifth country in the world and the second of the Arab states to sign a free trade agreement with the USA. Only Canada, Mexico, Israel and Jordan have a similar accord with Washington.

The US official said French authorities had assured him that Loos' statements were misinterpreted and that France sees no incompatibility between the agreement Europe is currently negotiating with Morocco and a covenant binding Rabat to the USA.

For Moroccan Delegate Minister of foreign affairs and cooperation, Taib Fassi Fihri, who leads the Moroccan negotiating team, Morocco is seeking to diversify its economic and trade partners for mutually-profitable exchanges that go beyond mercantile considerations. Fassi Fihri said negotiating a free trade agreement with the USA should not be seen as incompatible with ongoing talks with the EU, but rather as "an intelligent complementarity."

In Morocco, minister of economic affairs, general affairs and economy upgrading, Abderrazak Mossadak, said the two projected free trade agreements are not contradictory but complement each other, as the two agreements will boost Morocco's ability to attract foreign investments and contribute to increase trade exchanges.

Previous Stories:
  Morocco-US free trade talks launched officially in Washington   (1/22/2003)
  More negotiations are needed for balanced Morocco-EU agriculture accord   (1/16/2003)
  Amcham in Morocco: US-Morocco FTA Success Depends on Improvements of Moroccan Business Environment   (12/4/2002)
  Rabat struck transitional accord with EU to export 174.000 tons of tomatoes   (12/2/2002)
  Liberation: Morocco will have no problem joining the EU, doyle   (11/28/2002)
  Moroccan-US trade relations at center of talks in washington   (11/28/2002)

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