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(MENAFN - Morocco Business News) Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi and his Tunisian counterpart, Mohamed Ghannouchi, who presided over the signature of the three agreements and the two programmes (Ph.: MAP).
Regional economic rivals Morocco and Tunisia are working hard to reinforce their bilateral cooperation in order to gradually reach the stage of complementarity. They signed on Tuesday three cooperation agreements and two executive programmes.
For this very purpose, they have held their 15th High Joint Commission on April 6-7, under the co-chairmanship of Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi and his Tunisian counterpart, Mohamed Ghannouchi, who presided over the signature of the three agreements and the two programmes.
The first agreement relate to tourism; the second to strategic studies, statistics and planning, and the third to energy and renewable energy.
Covering the 2009-2011 period, the two programmes, for their part, concern the pedagogical and cultural fields, mainly through the exchange of books, textbooks and other documents pertaining to education and training.
"This meeting shows both countries willingness to consolidate their cooperation ties in various fields," said Tuesday Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi, who called for more consultation and coordination.
The meeting of the commission was also an occasion for discussing and settling the problems hindering the development of trade between the two countries.
Although still below expectations, trade between the two African countries is continuously growing, mainly from the part of Tunisia, whose exports to Morocco increased 55% in 2007 (about MAD 1.3 billion), compared to 2006.
However, Morocco's exports to Tunisia in 2007 did not exceed MAD 6 million, registering a rise of not more than 2.7% relative to 2006.
As to competition, a study conducted recently by the Roland Berger strategy consultancy revealed that 15 of the main products exported by Morocco to the European Union are in direct competition with those of the Agadir Accord countries, especially Tunisia.
Concerning tourism, in which both countries are competitive, Tunisia received some 6.7 million tourists, with an income of USD 2.7 billion. Morocco, on the other hand, received some 8 million tourists, with an income almost twice as much (USD 5 billion).
Morocco is also better served in terms of foreign direct investments (FDIs). In 2007, Morocco attracted a total of euro 2.8 billion of FDIs, against only euro 1.2 billion for Tunisia.
But albeit regional rivals, Morocco and Tunisia have been working hard to encourage trade and strengthen cooperation between them.
This meeting of the High Joint commission was preceded by visit exchanges and the holding of many joint meetings, the most recent of which was held on April 2-3 to examine the progress of previous decisions and prepare recommendations of the 15th commission.
"The positive steps the two countries have made on the path of bilateral complementarity represent the best stimulus to enhance progress of the Arab Maghreb Union and re-energise joint Maghreb action," said the Tunisian official news agency on April 4.
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