Netherlands to set up investment desks in Morocco

The Netherlands decided to create three investment desks to promote commercial relations with Morocco, Dutch minister of foreign trade, Gerrip Ybema, announced on Sunday.

The desks --to be located in Rotterdam (Holland), and in the Moroccan northern cities of Oujda and Nador -- will advise and assist Netherlands-settled Moroccans who want to invest in Morocco, said Ybema, who is currently visiting Morocco at the head of a business delegation.

The Netherlands is the first European country to engage a cooperation of this kind with Morocco.

Ybema met in Rabat Monday Moroccan minister of economy, finance, privatization and tourism, Fathallah Oualalou over economic issues.

Oualalou stressed the need to strengthen the two countries' commercial relations, and the encouragement of Dutch investment in Morocco.

The Dutch minister voiced confidence that Moroccan-Dutch commercial ties will be stronger in the future thanks to the Moroccan economy's openness onto the world, and the encouraging incentives the country offers to investors.

He also lauded the two countries' excellent relations, and recalled that Morocco was the first Moslem country with which Netherlands signed a cooperation agreement in 1605. Trade between Morocco and the Netherlands stood at 500,000 Euro in 2000. Some 300,000 Moroccan-born nationals are settled in this country.