Morocco rejects any aggression against Iraq; free trade agreement sought

Morocco rejects any aggression against Iraq, Moroccan prime minister, Abderrahmane Youssoufi, said in Rabat Saturday, stressing that it will remain constant in its support to the Iraqi and Palestinian peoples

In a statement broadcast by Morocco's first channel TVM, Youssoufi reiterated his country's solidarity with the Iraqi people following a meeting with Iraqi Trade Minister Mohammed Mehdi Saleh.

His talks with the Iraqi official, held on the sidelines of the 10th Moroccan-Iraqi joint commission held in Rabat end of last week, covered bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

Morocco will spare no effort to foster its exchanges with Iraq, he said, voicing hope that the two states conclude a free trade agreement.

Morocco and Iraq signed recently in Casablanca an agreement to reactivate their joint business council.

Moroccan minister of industry, trade, energy and mining, Mustapha Mansouri, who co-chaired the 10th high joint commission with Mehdi Saleh, said there is an apparent improvement in the volume of Morocco's exports to Iraq, which makes Moroccan economic operators more optimistic as to the two states' exchanges.

The total value of trade exchanges between the two Arab states rose from 2.56 billion DH in 1999, to 5.12 billion DH in 2000 and 4.34 billion DH in 2001. Morocco exports to Iraq food products, pneumatics and medicine and imports mainly oil.