Morocco, France resolved to fight drug trafficking

Morocco and France are resolved to fight drug trafficking, said French interior minister, Dominique de Villepin, terming the struggle against the plague as "a priority" of his department.

Speaking at a press conference at the end of a two-day working visit in Morocco, De Villepin said the two countries have decided to reinforce police cooperation with the appointment of liaison officers to be deployed in Tangiers (Morocco) and in France.

A Moroccan-French group will also be set up to carry out joint investigations, he said, adding that information will be more accessible and the dismantling of trafficking webs easier, especially with the contribution of the 165 French nationals currently imprisoned in Morocco for drug-related offences.

Touching on illegal immigration, the minister voiced France's resolve to carry on its current "welcoming policy," as evidenced by the presence of some 500,000 Moroccan expatriates in France.

Contacts will be intensified between Moroccan and French immigration services by appointing a French liaison officer in Morocco and a Moroccan officer in France, adding that a bilateral meeting will be held shortly to speed up regularization procedures for illegal immigrants.

The official said France is set to help Morocco control its incoming migratory flow from sub-Saharan countries.

Scores of illegal immigrants come to Morocco seeking to cross to Spain or other European countries. They usually enter from the eastern border, near the Algerian city of Maghnia.

During his visit, the French official was received by King Mohammed VI and held talks with Moroccan officials on "issues of common concern," notably immigration, counter-terrorism, drug-trafficking and administrative cooperation.