Morocco and Spain pledge to give new momentum to bilateral relations
Morocco-Spain, Politics, 4/30/1999

Morocco and Spain pledged to give a new momentum to their relations and to seek the appropriate mechanisms to enhance bilateral cooperation in all areas.

The pledge was made by the Moroccan and Spanish prime ministers, Abderrahmane Youssoufi and Jose Maria Aznar at a joint press conference they held on Thursday at the end of the fifth meeting of the Moroccan-Spanish high joint commission convened in Madrid.

The two prime ministers voiced satisfaction over the outcome of the two-day meeting as well as over the spirit which prevailed over the talks.

"We are fully satisfied over the intensity of exchanges and consultation between the two governments and over the atmosphere of frankness that prevailed during the commission's works," Youssoufi said renewing Morocco's commitment to give a new impetus to its relations of friendship with Spain.

Echoing him, Aznar described as "very positive" the fact to maintain "good relations with Morocco, a neighboring and friendly country" and said, "We pledged to persevere on this path."

Aznar -- who renewed Spain's backing to the reform process initiated in Morocco to modernize its social, economic and financial structures -- surveyed the multi-faceted cooperation existing between the two countries and underlined the desire of several Spanish enterprises to participate in the Moroccan privatization process.

The Moroccan-Spanish talks at the two-hour tete-a-tete meeting between Youssoufi and Aznar and at the separate meetings held by the ten sectoral commissions dealing with foreign affairs, economy and finance, justice, trade and industry, employment and social affairs, education, fisheries, public works, transports and energy and mines covered all aspects of bilateral cooperation and explored means of giving a new dimension to bilateral relations that were described by Youssoufi as "good, rich and in full evolution."

The Youssoufi-Aznar meeting also discussed the situation in the Maghreb region and in the Middle East, Morocco's relations with the European Union, the Euro-Mediterranean process, in addition to a set of other topical issues, including the Kosovo tragedy which deeply worries Morocco.

Youssoufi, who was accompanied by a large ministerial delegation, businessmen and representatives of the society, was received by King Juan Carlos of Spain.

He also conferred with the leaders of the Spanish political parties -- namely the opposition Socialist Labor Party (PSOE), the ruling Popular Party (PP), the leftist coalition Izquierda Unida and the new left Nueva Izquierda -- on issues of common concern, the Moroccan alternation experience that brought to power a center-left coalition government after decades of right-wing rule and on the situation prevailing in the Maghreb.

The Moroccan-Spanish summit meeting, held once a year alternately in Rabat and Madrid, is instituted by the treaty of friendship, cooperation and neighborliness signed by the two countries in 1991.

The goal of these regular meetings is to follow-up the implementation of partnership projects and enhance dialogue, entente and cooperation between the two Mediterranean countries.Spain is Morocco's 2nd trade partner and supplier after France.

Morocco's exports to Spain (fish and shellfish, salt, sulfur, garments, and minerals) went up from $668.8 Million in 1997 to $750.7 million in 1998. Imports from the European country (mechanical devices, semi-finished products, cotton, synthetic fibers, cars, tractors) stood in 1998 at $1.05 billion compared to $881 million in 1997.

Morocco's investments in Spain -- which were null in 1994 -- have also scored a noteworthy progress as they went up from 97 million pesetas in 1997 to 1.15 billion pesetas in 1998.

Spanish investments in Morocco have slowed down in the past year, going down from 3.32 billion pesetas in 1997 to 2.23 billion in 1998.

Previous Stories:
  Moroccan-Spanish high commission starts works in Madrid   (4/29/1999)
  Moroccan and Spanish universities sign cooperation accord   (4/26/1999)
  Istiqlal Party leader winds up visit to Spain   (4/23/1999)

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