FTAs place Morocco within global economy, Minister

The conclusion of Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with the United States and with Turkey evidences Morocco's continued efforts to integrate global economy, said Tuesday, Moroccan Minister-Delegate of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Taib Fassi Fihri.

Answering a question at the House of Advisors (upper house of the parliament), Fihri said these agreements will allow for the creation of new markets "that reinforce the preferential network of Morocco, which includes the EU and several Arab countries and the signatory States of the Agadir Declaration."

Morocco's FTA with the US, said the Minister's answer, have already yielded fruits with the rise in American investments in different sectors in Morocco.

This inflow strengthens the will to make of Morocco an international platform in investments, which will, in turn generate new jobs, he explained.

The minister stressed the need to follow-up the implementation of the agreements' provisions to prevent possible fallouts.

On June 15, 2004 Morocco signed a FTA with the United States of America and on April 7 of the same year, a similar agreement was signed with Turkey.