Moroccan premier received by Dutch queen

Moroccan prime minister, Abderrahmane Youssoufi, who started on Wednesday a two-day visit to the Netherlands, was received in the afternoon by Queen Beatrice and by speakers of the two parliamentary chambers.

In a meeting with Dutch peer, Wim Kok, the Moroccan premier stressed that Morocco has embarked on political, economic and social reforms meant to consolidate democracy, reduce social gaps and prepare economy to challenges of the new millennium.

He also hoped that partnership between the European Union and south Mediterranean countries will run more smoothly and overcome present hardships.

Regarding the situation in the Middle East, Youssoufi expressed Morocco's deep worries over the painful events in the occupied Palestinian territories and call that parties to the peace process would exert more efforts to fulfill the people aspirations to peace.

Youssoufi is expected to go this Thursday to Amsterdam where most of the 252,000 Moroccans settled in the Netherlands are living. He will visit the city hall and attend a function offered by the Moroccan community living in the Netherlands.

Relations between Morocco and the Netherlands which was in 1999 Morocco's first foreign investor are set to know a new impetus with a mutual investment promotion agreement, under negotiation, and a visit by Dutch crown prince to Morocco.