ANSAmed - RABAT, APRIL 18 - Visiting French Prime Minister, Francois Fillon pledged that his country is determined to help Morocco get an advanced status in its relations with the European Union. "We want to help Morocco to have the special status it seeks in the European Union," Fillon said on the sidelines of a dinner banquet held in his honor by his Moroccan counterpart, Abbas El Fassi, Map news agency reports. The French official, who started yesterday a two-day visit to Morocco to co-chair with El Fassi the 9th high-level Moroccan-French joint commission, added that "we seek to widen the cooperation with Morocco, given that the French government supports the wide-ranging orientations of the Moroccan policy in all fields". Recalling the various commitments taken by French President Sarkozy during his official visit to Morocco last October, during which the two countries signed agreements amounting to 3 billion euro on transport, justice, social security, mines and equipment, the minister stressed the importance of agreements to be concluded during the 9th high-level meeting. From his part, Abbas El Fassi said that the advanced status desired by Rabat is not only based on geographical proximity, but also on the adhesion to common values, namely the respect for human rights, individual and collective liberties, gender equality, justice and solidarity and the rule of law. Morocco, he went on, made the choice of establishing a regional Euro-Mediterranean zone of peace, stability and shared prosperity. Fillon is accompanied by an important ministerial delegation including Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, Economy, Industry and Employment Minister, Christine Lagarde and Minister of Higher Education and Research, Valerie Pecresse. [Source: France Determined to Help Morocco Get Advanced Status in EU]
Hat tip: Dhimmi Watch
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