Moroccan, Italian businessmen determined to upgrade partnership

Moroccan and Italian economic operators have voiced at a meeting in Casablanca on Monday determination to upgrade their cooperation and partnership.

The meeting gathered members of the Moroccan employers' association (CGEM), and a visiting Italian business delegation led by Undersecretary of State for Foreign Trade Senator Antonello Cabras.

The economic operators from both countries stressed the need to give a new momentum to economic relations and to explore the existing partnership opportunities.

"We are determined to give a new impetus to bilateral cooperation and to promote relations of complementarity through the consolidation of trade exchanges," said Cabras.

CGEM chairman, Abderrahim Lahjouji, on his part, called for upgrading cooperation within the Mediterranean basin and for settling a number of pending issues. He cited among these issues, the need to find a new approach to fisheries, to include agriculture in the free-trade accords, and indebtedness which hampers development.

Lahjouji also briefed the Italian guests about the ongoing political and economic reforms in Morocco, stating that these reforms are targeting the consolidation of macro-economic balances, the modernization of the industrial fabric and the consolidation of the juridical environment of enterprises.

Morocco is Italy's 4th trade partner. Moroccan exports to Italy are made up mainly of fertilizers, fresh fish and garments, while imports are made up mostly of cars, machinery and various industrial tools.