Morocco, Syria sign package of agreements

Morocco and Syria signed on Tuesday at the end of the 1st session of their high joint commission a package of agreements meant to foster bilateral cooperation in various realms of economy, trade, culture, communication and environment.

Co-chaired by Moroccan and Syrian prime ministers, respectively Abderrahmane Youssoufi and Mohamed Miro, the session, held in Damascus October 22-23, also reached an agreement for the creation of a free-trade area offering larger and more promising prospects for trade exchanges and encouraging investments.

The two Arab states underscored a shared vision as to Arab solidarity and the need to consolidate it, commitment to defend peace as a strategic choice and denunciation of Israeli repression in the Palestinian territories and the need for Israel to evacuate occupied territories.

The two countries also shared the same viewpoint regarding the denunciation of last September 11 terrorist attacks against the U.S.A. and insisted on the need to avoid confusion between terrorism and the struggle for national liberation.

A working group set up to fine tune the free-trade area creation agreement will be meeting in the first three months of 2002.

The two countries' exports promotion centers signed another agreement while other accords deal with cooperation in industry, handicraft, tourism, animal health, norms and quality, transport, communication and telecommunication, posts and education.