Morocco - Catalunia talks in Rabat

President of the autonomous government of Catalunia, Jordi Pujol, who started Sunday an official visit to Morocco, held separate meetings in Rabat Monday with several Moroccan officials.

These included the minister of economy, finance, privatization and tourism, Fathallah Oualalou, Secretary of state for foreign affairs and cooperation, Taieb Fassi Fihri, and speaker of the house of representatives (lower chamber of parliament), Abdelouahed Radi.

Talks covered ways of enhancing economic cooperation between Morocco and Catalunia and upgrading partnership between enterprises.

Pujol and his party of politicians and businessmen were briefed on the reforms ushered in by Morocco in the sectors of education, justice and administration in preparation to 2010, date set for the establishment of a free trade area between Morocco and the European Union.

Moroccan officials also expounded to their interlocutors the investment opportunities offered by Morocco, mainly in the sectors of tourism, telecommunication, new information technologies and agriculture.

Nearly half the 800 Spanish enterprises operating in Morocco are from Catalunia and 49 per cent of the Moroccan community in Spain are settled in this region.

Catalunia-based enterprises export to Morocco synthetic and artificial fibers, mechanical equipment, cotton, plastic items, manufactured products and oils. Morocco ranks first among Catalunia's south Mediterranean clients (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt) and is its fourth supplier in the group.

Both sides stressed the need to foster Morocco-Catalunia partnership as a major element in Moroccan-Spanish partnership.