French president visits Morocco to display support and encouragement to the kingdom
Morocco-France, Politics, 10/9/2003

French President, Jacques Chirac, is paying this Oct.9-11 a state visit to Morocco to express, as he put it in an interview with MAP news agency, his country's support and encouragement to the Kingdom and to the ongoing process of economy modernization and democracy deepening.

Chirac, who had officially traveled to the kingdom twice, in December 2001 and December 2002, said he is visiting Morocco to "express France's confidence in Morocco and display its active and brotherly solidarity and will to consolidate the strategic partnership" binding the two countries. Fifty years after Charles De Gaulle's 1943 visit to Fez, Morocco's spiritual capital will be welcoming the French president who is keen to stand by Morocco which he praised as a "precious example of a country that has always succeeded in striking the fragile but necessary balance between the respect of traditions and values and openness onto the world."

France, he added, is intent to bring backing to Morocco in the set of pressing challenges and threats it is facing, particularly following last May 16 terrorist attacks in Casablanca. "It is only natural that France stands by, supports and encourages (Morocco) in the path it has opted for," says Chirac who termed Morocco's endeavors for modernity and democratization as "a bold option" that "will lead to the promotion of economic development and social progress cherished by Moroccans."

The French president also had a positive appraisal of Morocco's drives to consolidate freedom and the rule of law, stressing the need for a parallel fight against poverty and illiteracy that France "is supporting by bringing concrete economic and social assistance."

From an economic perspective, trade exchanges between the two countries fared well in the first half of 2003 with 28.53 billion DH worth of exchanges (about US$ 3 billion), including 14.62 billion DH (about US$ 1.5 billion) of exports, i.e. 35% of Morocco's total exports, and 13.91 billion DH in imports (about US$ 1.4 billion), accounting for 21% of Morocco's imports. An estimated 900,000 French tourists have spent in Morocco some 1.95 billion DH (about US$ 2 billion) during the two first quarters of 2003.

The French president is visiting Morocco two months after the meeting in Morocco of the two countries' heads of government (24-25 July) during which France announced it is doubling the action of the French Development Agency in Morocco by earmarking an additional 150 million Euros to participate in economic and social infrastructures in Morocco.

Previous Stories:
  French president on state visit to Morocco this week   (10/8/2003)
  Morocco, France relations are exemplary, French former fm   (9/30/2003)
  French association condemns Polisario crimes and stops sending aid   (9/20/2003)

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

Search