Mr. Salaheddine MEZOUAR, Minister of Economy and Finance, paid a visit to the European Commission in Brussels on Thursday March 5th, 2009. Mr. MEZOUAR was accompanied by Mr. Zouhair Chorfi, Treasury and External Finance Director, and Mr. Abdellatif Bennani, Budget Director.
This visit underscores the dynamic of Morocco-European cooperation relations under the Advanced Status, aims more particularly to promote the implementation of financial cooperation between Morocco and the European Union, and to serve Morocco`s interests with regard to future cooperation prospects.
During the visit, Mr. MEZOUAR held a meeting with Mrs. Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy.
In this meeting, Mr. MEZOUAR talked about the major reforms that Morocco has undertaken at the political, social and economic level. He also underlined the new and positive outlook the advanced status represents for Morocco in its relations with the EU. Mr. MEZOUAR expressed his satisfaction at the current and dynamic political and economic relations between Morocco and the EU.
In connection with this, Mr. MEZOUAR solicited Mrs. FERRERO`s support for the consolidation of the financial assistance through a substantial increase of allocation granted to Morocco within the future cooperation programme for the period 2011-2013.
Mr. MEZOUAR also called for the European decision makers` support to concretise the commitments made within the Advanced Status for after 2013, to herald a new era characterized by the mobilisation of substantial and adequate EU financial means to assist Morocco.
In addition, Mr. MEZOUAR expressed the wish that Morocco substantially benefit from Governance Facility and Neighbourhood Investment Facility to support Morocco in its programmes and projects.
Mr. MEZOUAR also met with Mr. Philippe MAYSTADT, president of the European Investment Bank and underlined EIB`s participation in the financing of important development programmes in Morocco.
Finally, he solicited EIB`s support for projects launched in Morocco in sectors related to highways, railroad and energy infrastructures, as well as projects of sewage and urban infrastructures.