Moroccan premier starts African tour

Moroccan Prime Minister Abderrahmane Youssoufi started this Saturday a seven-day tour of Africa that will take him to Senegal, Guinea, Cote D'Ivoire, Gabon and Burkina Faso.

Youssoufi told reporters before his departure that the tour is meant to consolidate brotherly ties between Morocco and these countries, underlining the relations of intimate friendship existing between King Hassan II and the leaders of these African states.

The tour also seeks to deepen relations in commercial and cultural fields, Youssoufi said, adding that Morocco's relations with these countries are short of the level of friendship binding them.

The talks will examine cooperation fields that need to be handled with a keen interest, he said.

The prime minister, who announced that he is planning to visit other African Portuguese or English-speaking countries, deplored the fact that Africa, a rich continent, "remains victim of a number of international, ethnic and conflict factors that hamper its prosperity."

Youssoufi is accompanied by a large delegation of ministers and businessmen.

Youssoufi will be received by the heads of state of the visited countries and will hold talks with political and business leaders.

The African tour will be crowned by the signing of several cooperation accords and conventions in the fields of investments, fisheries, trade and agriculture.