Morocco and Bulgaria share will to establish free-trade area

Moroccan prime minister, Abderrahmane Youssoufi, expressed on Wednesday Moroccan and Bulgarian will to establish a free-trade area to promote trade.

Our shared will is to reach, in the near future, a series of agreements in education, science, culture and judiciary cooperation, and to start discussions for the creation of a free-trade area, said the Moroccan prime minister at a dinner he hosted in honor of visiting Bulgarian vice-president, Todor Kavaldjiev.

The two countries, which will convene their joint commission June in Morocco, called for a settlement of the conflict in Kosovo, the cessation of ethnic cleansing and the return of Kosovar refugees.

Youssoufi also called for creating a Moroccan-Bulgarian friendship association at the Bulgarian parliament as a contribution to consolidating bonds between the two countries' legislative bodies.

The Bulgarian official, who started on Tuesday a four-day visit to Morocco, said his country supports Morocco's aspiration to perfect its territorial integrity and the UN settlement plan for the holding of a referendum in the Sahara.

Kavaldjiev also voiced his country's support to Morocco's Mediterranean policy and stressed that his country will spare no effort to reach the goals set by the two countries in their bilateral cooperation.

During his visit to Morocco, the Bulgarian official held talks with the prime minister, the speaker of the house of representatives, the minister of foreign affairs and cooperation and the minister of industry, trade and handicraft.

Moroccan-Bulgarian talks covered political developments in the two countries and means to increase trade flows.