Morocco - EU meeting on fisheries on oct. 16 in rabat

Morocco and the European Union will hold a meeting October 16 in Rabat under the chair of premier Abderrahmane Youssoufi, announced here Monday foreign affairs and cooperation minister, Mohamed Benaissa.

After attending the first session of the Moroccan-EU association council Oct 9 in Luxembourg, Benaissa expressed hope to see the high-level meeting "reach a solution within a partnership framework which takes into account Morocco's vital interests, both at the levels of fish resources and socio-economic conditions, and EU's interests in the field."

A new vision ought to be found to make it a part of the new stage being incepted in the Moroccan-EU association, he said.

A previous session in Brussels September 28-29 helped the Moroccan side expound the kingdom's strategy for the promotion of its own fish stocks.

The Moroccan plan for its promising fisheries is meant to preserve stocks and bio-diversity in its exclusive economic zone, upgrading of standards of sea-related jobs and modernizing of all activities from fishing, to gear-manufacture, processing and valorization of catches.

In Brussels, the European side explained how it would back and accompany Moroccan authorities in carrying out their fishery promotion plan included in the 2000-2004 development plan.