Japan loans Morocco $70 million for two projects

The Japanese government has given its agreement for a $70 million loan to carry out two major projects in Morocco, said Japan's ambassador to Morocco, Hiromi Sato.

The Japanese loan will finance a drinking water project in Agadir (southwestern Morocco) and a second railway between Fes and Meknes (central Morocco).

According to the diplomat, Japan is granting annually to Morocco non-reimbursable donations of around $20 million and bilateral cooperation, dating back to 1967, taking the form of donations and technical cooperation by Japanese experts and volunteers and the training of Moroccan experts and trainees.

Japan has also helped in carrying out several fishermen villages, particularly the Cala-Iris fishing port, for which the Asian country contributed $7 million and which succeeded in less than 18 months of existence in improving its turnover.

The ambassador also wished that Moroccan-Japanese cooperation will be extended to other sectors, stressing that Morocco is Africa's largest recipient of Japanese cooperation.