Portuguese foreign minister satisfied over visit to Morocco

Portuguese foreign minister, Jaime Gama, on Tuesday expressed satisfaction over his visit to Morocco this Jan.8-9 and said the two countries agreed to carry on contacts to upgrade cooperation.

The Portuguese official told reporters talks in Morocco focused on preparations for the 5"5 ministerial meeting, in Lisbon later this month. The 5"5 group comprises five north Mediterranean countries (Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Malta) and five Maghreban countries (Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia).

A Mediterranean forum to be held next April in Tetuan, northern Morocco, was also on the menu, he added.

The two Mediterranean countries will carry on efforts to consolidate partnership between the European Union and Morocco and between the EU and the Maghreb. Morocco and Portugal are bound by a 1994 friendship and neighborliness treaty, making of Portugal one of Morocco's privileged partners in the European Union.

Morocco and Portugal will hold next March in Lisbon their annual high-level meetings, chaired by the prime ministers. Other ministerial meetings will be held in the second half of 2001 and in 2002 as part of the new MEDA laws and the future Mediterranean policy.

Gama was received by King Mohammed VI and met minister of finance, economy, tourism and privatization, Fathallah Oualalou, fishery minister, Said Chbaatou, speaker of the House of Representatives, Abdelouahed Radi and minister of foreign affairs and cooperation, Mohamed Benaissa.