EU Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner visits Rabat

Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the Member of the Commission responsible for External Relations and the Neighbourhood Policy, will be in Rabat from 21 to 23 March. She will be meeting Prime Minister Driss Jettou to discuss the scope for a closer partnership between the EU and Morocco in view of Morocco's request for "advanced status". Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner will also meet Foreign Minister Mohammed Benaissa, Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Taieb Fassi Fihri, Finance and Privatisation Minister Fathallah Oualalou and Minister for National Education, Higher Studies, Staff Training and Scientific Research Habib El Malki. These meetings should help identify the main priorities for EU-Morocco cooperation in the period 2007-2013.

Before leaving for Morocco, Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner explained that "Morocco has always been a pioneer among Mediterranean countries in its relations with the EU. This already gives it a special status, but we understand the country's wish to take relations even further. It is essential that we begin by identifying what the substance of a deeper bilateral relationship would be. What I want is specific results, not symbolic gestures. It is with this in mind that I am travelling to Morocco for frank and friendly talks with my hosts."

Morocco is a country in the grips of change, and many social and economic reforms are taking place at the prompting of King Mohammed VI. Though Morocco has not waited for the Barcelona Process to be relaunched or for the new Neighbourhood Policy to be implemented before embarking on its reforms; it knows that relations with the EU offer considerable scope for underpinning its own reforms. This is why the European Commission and the Moroccan government have agreed a specific action plan with clear objectives. Ms Ferrero-Waldner's visit will provide an opportunity to take initial stock of the progress achieved by the action plan and to determine whether the conditions are met for faster progress towards identifying the components of any "advanced status", something provided for in the EU-Morocco action plan.

Specific issues of common interest will also be discussed. They include the balanced management of the movement of persons, the opening of negotiations on services and EU financial support for the National Human Development Initiative (INDH).

http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/morocco/intro/index.htm

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