Morocco calls for development of Euro-Mediterranean partnership
Morocco-Portugal, Politics, 9/7/1999

Morocco called on Monday for making the Mediterranean basin "a space of coexistence between peoples and tolerance between religions and people."

At a luncheon hosted in honor of his Portuguese peer, Antonio Guterres on the occasion of the fifth session of the Moroccan - Portuguese commission meeting in Tangiers (northern Morocco), Moroccan Premier Abderrahmane Youssoufi urged Portugal to play an active role within the European Union for the development of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership in the service of the shared interests of the two banks of the Mediterranean basin.

He also underlined the complementarity existing between the Moroccan and Portuguese economies offering substantial joint business opportunities and called for the reinforcement of the Moroccan - Portuguese presence in Africa.

For his part, the Portuguese premier said he is for the development of the Moroccan - Portuguese partnership in Africa and hailed the pioneering role played by Morocco in Africa in all fields. Guterres recalled in this regard the importance of the projected Euro-African summit in boosting further cooperation and partnership between European and African countries.

Upon his arrival in Morocco, the Portuguese official told reporters that his country will spare no efforts for the development of relations with Morocco in all sectors and paid tribute to Morocco's sustained efforts to promote democracy, protect human rights and consolidate the state of law.

He also paid homage to the late King Hassan II for his actions in favor of world peace, tolerance and entente. The Portuguese minister, who inaugurated the same day with his Moroccan peer an artistic exhibition, affirmed that Morocco's international stature and socioeconomic achievements will be consolidated further under the reign of King Mohammed VI.

The exposition, themed "Morocco-Portugal: Gates to the Mediterranean," seeks to highlight the shared Moroccan-Portuguese cultural and civilization legacy.

It is held on the fringes of the Moroccan-Portuguese high commission, which opens works this Tuesday to look into ways of boosting trade exchange and economic cooperation between the two countries.

The commission will review the evolution of trade exchange, investment, cultural relations and cooperation prospects in the fields of industry, tourism, agriculture, fisheries and scientific research.

During its latest session held in Lisbon in 1998, the Moroccan-Portuguese commission had set up a business council to enhance contacts between the two countries' entrepreneurs and increase the flow of investment to Morocco.

Portugal extended Morocco two loans worth $200 million to enhance partnership between the two countries in various sectors.

Over thirty-two Portuguese firms are installed in Morocco, operating in various industrial sectors such as irrigation tools, electric equipment, transports, construction, banking, shoes, chemicals, plastics, garments and telecommunications.

Telecom-Portugal is one of firms forming the international consortium which won the $1.08 billion contract for building Morocco's second mobile phone network.

The consortium, which is led by Spanish Telefonica, also includes Moroccan BMCE bank and Afriquia Gas-oil distributor.

Previous Stories:
  Moroccan-Portuguese high commission meets   (9/6/1999)
  Portugal seeks to renew fishery agreement with Morocco   (9/3/1999)
  Moroccan-Portuguese high commission meets next September   (8/31/1999)
  Portuguese group to launch tourism project in Morocco   (8/28/1999)

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