Commissioner Fischler announces Morocco - European fishery meeting

European agriculture and fishery commissioner Franz Fischler announced Monday in southern Portugal he would meet in April Premier Abderrahmane Youssoufi to discuss issues related to fisheries.

Fischler said European countries were ready to assist Morocco in carrying out the five-year development plan for the promotion of the fishery sector currently debated in parliament adding the European Union would do the best to reach a mutually beneficial agreement.

The Portuguese news agency "LUSA" said Fischler will be explaining Tuesday before the European Parliament moves towards Moroccan authorities to elicit talks on a new fishing agreement with the kingdom.

In another development, Moroccan communication minister, Larbi Messari, who is visiting Granada, Spain, said there were no talks on the matter for the time being and that Morocco would consider European proposals not endangering its interests.