Brussels, 02/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - The adoption by the European Parliament of the EU-Morocco free trade agreement in agriculture on 15 February 2012 (see EUROPE 10555) is “yet another illustration of the special partnership between this country and the European Union”, said Moroccan Foreign Minister and former Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Secretary General Youssef Amrani.
In comments carried by the national press, he said that this agreement “reflects the strength of the partnership and is testimony to MEPs' awareness of the strategic and mutually beneficial nature of relations” between the two parties. He pointed out that Morocco takes part in all EU programmes and agencies. He said that, taken together, this whole provided “support and encouragement for the efforts of the Kingdom to deepen reform”. Morocco, Amrani added, with its “enhanced status”, wants to “encourage an area of shared values and a common economic area”. He hoped for fresh impetus commensurate with the new situation in Europe, the Arab Spring and, above all, the far-reaching changes planned by his country. The foundation, in his opinion, is “strong historic roots, ever closer economic, cultural and human engagement and ownership being taken of this relationship by more and more economic, non-state and territorial players”.
“The time is right”, Amrani said, to develop a “more ambitious partnership approach in line with the new regional order”. He spoke of the recent joint efforts undertaken by the countries of the Maghreb. Morocco does not, however, have to make a choice between a bilateral approach with the EU, a Euro-Maghreb sub-regional approach or a Euro-Mediterranean regional approach: “the interaction of the bilateral, regional and community strands gives greater coherence, relevance and effectiveness to Morocco's constantly repeated desire to achieve optimum closeness with the EU”. (FB/transl.rt)