USA-Maghreb trade and investment conference, a success, organizers say

The USA-Maghreb conference on trade and investment held Nov.15-16 in Washington as part of the Eizenstat initiative was a success, organizers said.

A large Moroccan delegation led by minister of social economy, SME and handicraft, in charge of government's general affairs, Ahmed Lahlimi, was specially active in the Trade and Development Agency (TDA) event.

Two agreements were signed on the funding of feasibility studies for the privatization of Moroccan airports and a partnership between "SOMEPI" and the American firm "Enercorp" for the manufacture of solar energy panels in Casablanca.

The American side said the conference, including Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco, was evidence to the US commitment to promote regional economic integration and support private enterprise in the three Maghreb countries. They also raised the possibility of swapping Maghreb countries debt into investments and announced financing for a score of development projects in the region.

The conference was an opportunity for heads of Moroccan public and private firms to present projects that could interest American investors.

Both sides to the event agreed it was a new step in strengthening the partnership inaugurated by the Eizenstat initiative targeting a free-trade zone between the US and Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. Indeed, figures of the American trade department show that the 80 million strong market boasts a $ 137 billion gross domestic product.