Moroccan-French trade talks

Means to increase trade exchanges between Morocco and France topped talks held in Rabat Monday between Moroccan minister in charge of economic and general affairs and economic upgrading, Abderrazaq El Mossadeq, and French delegate minister of foreign trade, Francois Loos.

Talks covered means to boost bilateral economic cooperation and the flow of French investments in Morocco.

Francois Loos, who is accompanied by a parliamentary delegation and representatives of 60 firms, hailed the excellence of the two countries' ties, voicing French enterprises' wish to invest in Morocco.

The free trade agreements Morocco concluded with the European Union and with several Arab states and the future Morocco-US free trade zone were evoked at the meeting, which was followed by a meeting between Moroccan and French operators.

French investments in Morocco reached 131.14 Billion Dirhams during the first half of 2002, the Moroccan foreign investments department said.