US congress delegation meets Moroccan officials over investment opportunities
Morocco-USA, Politics, 4/5/1999

A US congress delegation, which started on Saturday a four-day visit to Morocco, conferred with several members of the Moroccan government, and attended a dinner banquet hosted in their honor by crown prince Sidi Mohammed.

Led by Tom Bliley, Chairman of the trade committee at the US house of representatives, the delegation comprises 13 republican and democrat members of the US senate and house of representatives, most of them are among the 110 signatories of the "Statement of friendship" that set up the caucus, "Friends of Morocco in the United States Congress."

On Saturday, the delegation reviewed with Moroccan interior minister, Driss Basri, Morocco-US relations that both sides termed as longstanding since Morocco was the first nation to recognize the young republic of the United States of America and since the first treaty between the two nations was signed 200 years ago when US ships were authorized to anchor in Moroccan ports.

The US delegation said they will endeavor to expand exchanges between the two countries and promote US investments in Morocco, mainly in sanitation, energy, telecoms, and civil aviation.

Basri reassured the US delegation that Moroccan laws offer all needed guarantees to foreign investors, adding that the country is set to launch several great projects of sanitation, energy, environment preservation, electricity and drinking water distribution. He said Morocco wishes to see American firms bidding for the projects. US firms are already candidates to get the $ 500 million private GSM license, Basri recalled.

The US congressmen also reviewed with finance and economy minister, Fathallah Oualalou, investments issues and other questions related to financial cooperation.

After he surveyed the major economic challenges facing Morocco, Oualalou deplored the low level of trade between the two countries, saying, in this regard, that the USA is Morocco's 7th customer and 4th supplier. He went on that Morocco's indebtedness towards the USA is estimated at us $ 1.1 billion, accounting for 6 % of Morocco's total external debt.

In a meeting held on the same day with Moroccan prime minister, Abderrahmane Youssoufi, the US congressmen heard explanations on the Moroccan government's action in matters of democracy, human rights and justice reform. Youssoufi also talked about ongoing efforts to narrow the social gap existing between the urban and rural worlds.

Answering a question asked by the head of the delegation on the issue of Morocco's territorial integrity, the prime minister surveyed the steps that led to the liberation in 1975 of the Moroccan southern provinces from Spanish colonization. He insisted that the acknowledgment by Spanish official, Emilio Cuevas, who was in charge of conducting a population census in the territories, that the census was incomplete is a new evidence confirming Morocco's insistence that the entire Sahrawi population should be entitled to vote in the referendum that the United Nations is planning to hold in the territory.

According to the head of the delegation, US investments in Morocco will be increased while trade is set to grow, as the US administration believes in Morocco's role as a pole of stability in the Maghreb and as a source of a culture of peace and tolerance in the world.

Previous Stories:
  Delegation from U.S. Congress in Morocco   (4/3/1999)
  Moroccan legislative body sets up Moroccan-US friendship group   (4/2/1999)
  US first lady and Moroccan princess speak out for tolerance   (3/31/1999)

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