Ukrainian FM meets Moroccan officials

Ukrainian foreign minister, Anatoli Zlenko, who arrived here on Sunday on an official visit, met on Monday with premier Abderrahmane Youssoufi and speakers of the two parliamentary houses.

A statement of the prime minister's office says the head of Ukrainian diplomacy expressed to Morocco gratefulness for its humane stand vis-a-vis Ukrainian children during the Chernobyl catastrophe.

Talks with the speaker of the house of representatives, Abdelouahed Radi, covered means to develop economic ties between the two countries and the need to set forth a legal and institutional framework to upgrade bilateral cooperation.

The Ukrainian official proposed the creation of a joint venture in the fisheries sector and expressed his country's readiness to increase its imports of Moroccan phosphates.

In a meeting with speaker of the chamber of advisors, Mustapha Okacha, the head of the Ukrainian diplomacy said his country is ready to put its experience in industry at the service of bilateral cooperation and use opportunities available in Morocco in maritime industry and phosphates production. Earlier on Monday, Zlenko had met his Moroccan peer, Mohamed Benaissa, and handed him a message from Ukraine's president Leonid Koutchma to King Mohammed VI. The two foreign ministers discussed topical issues, including the situation in the middle east, terrorism, and the situation in the Maghreb and other issues of common interest. A special importance was given to means to consolidating bilateral relations and the need to enrich the legal framework regulating ties and economic cooperation. The two foreign ministers also signed a trade agreement between Morocco and Ukraine and an accord on reciprocal protection of investments.