EU official holds intensive talks in Morocco

European Union (EU) Trade Commissioner, Pascal Lamy, on Friday held intensive rounds of talks in Rabat with Moroccan officials on means to consolidate cooperation between Morocco and the EU.

At a meeting with Mohamed Benaissa, foreign affairs and cooperation minister, Lamy reviewed the evolution of Morocco-EU relations, the Euro-Mediterranean process as well as the prospects of multilateral talks within the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Morocco is bound to the EU by an association accord, providing for the creation of a free trade area by 2010.

The EU official voiced EU's backing to the Agadir Declaration, whereby Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan decided to set up a free trade area open to other Arab Mediterranean countries.

Lamy also conferred with minister of industry, commerce, energy and mining, Mustapha Mansouri, minister of social economy, small and medium enterprises and handicraft, Ahmed Lahlimi, and minister of economy, finance, privatization and tourism, Fathallah Oualalou.