Cote D'Ivoire's Premier Starts Visit to Morocco

Prime minister of Cote D'Ivoire, Daniel Kablan Duncan, started on Sunday a five-day friendship and work visit to Morocco at the invitation of Moroccan peer, Abderrahmane Youssoufi.

Duncan told the press upon arrival in Rabat that his visit will provide an opportunity to examine means to consolidate cooperation between Morocco and Cote D'Ivoire, particularly in economic and commercial fields.

He voiced his will to work with Youssoufi to consolidate and develop relations between Rabat and Abidjan, particularly in economic and cultural fields.

Bilateral trade and economic exchanges, governed by a series of accords, witnessed a tangible upward movement at the beginning of the 1990s after a long stagnation in the previous decade. Exchanges between the two African countries reached their zenith in 1997, when they totaled more than 472 million dh, representing a 19 percent increase over 1996 and 125 percent increase over 1990.

In 1997, Morocco's exports to Cote D'Ivoire stood at 205 million dh, while imports were valued at 267 dh, which represents a 62 million dh Moroccan deficit.