US diplomat pleads for American support to Morocco

US ambassador to Morocco, Edward Gabriel, pleaded for more American support to Morocco and for an effective partnership between the two countries.

"The American values and interests require that we remain close partners of Morocco at a time this country starts a package of promising reforms," Gabriel said quoting President Bill Clinton.

Since his enthronement (last July), King Mohammed VI raised new hopes among his people, continuing the series of reforms initiated by his late father, the diplomat told a roundtable jointly held by the Morocco-US business council and the commerce office of Massachusetts.

Morocco has embarked "on the most important liberalization policy in the Arab World," he said, adding that the Kingdom tackled problems of human rights and started a decentralization process. The freedom of speech, of press and meeting are now enlarged, he said.

At the economic scale, Morocco made the choice of transparency and good governance and tackled with determination the problems of red tape. The macroeconomic indicators were so well stabilized that Morocco managed to reach the same strict budget standards as the European Monetary union, the diplomat said.

The diplomat called on the US businessmen to bet on Morocco, putting a special emphasis on the country's tourism potential and its strategic location as a gate to Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

He announced that 20 investment projects were already identified in Morocco in the realms of agribusiness, manufacturing industry, tourism, infrastructure and finance.

Morocco enjoys the "unconditional backing of all its friends" thanks to the wisdom of the Late King Hassan II, who was a "voice of moderation and of peace in the Middle-East and a solid ally during the cold war," the US ambassador said, MAP reported.