El Pais highlights business delegation visit to Morocco

Spanish wide circulation daily "El Pais" highlighted the importance of a visit started this Friday to Morocco by a Spanish business delegation, led by head of Spain's business federation, Jose Maria Cuevas.

Taking place a few days before both countries ministers of foreign affairs' meeting scheduled in Rabat on January 30th, the encounter will give new impetus to the normalization process under way between Rabat and Madrid, writes "El Pais" in a story titled: "Spanish businessmen contribute to rapprochement with Morocco."

The Spanish delegation will have talks with several Moroccan officials as well as with representatives from Morocco's employers union, adds the paper, recalling Morocco's Premier's determination to normalize Moroccan-Spanish relations and boost foreign investments in the kingdom.

Unlike Spanish investments scaled down as of 2001, Spanish-Moroccan commercial exchanges have witnessed a notable increase between January and October 2002, adds the same source.

Spain's exports to Morocco increased by 10% compared to the same period in 2001, while Morocco's exports went up by 12.9%, adds El Pais.