São Paulo – Morocco is interested in producing ethanol and wants help from Brazil in the area. The subject was discussed yesterday (24th), in Rabat, by the Brazilian minister of Foreign Relations, Celso Amorim, and the Moroccan minister of Energy, Mines, Water and Environment, Amina Benkhadra.
According to information supplied by the Brazilian foreign office (Itamaraty), the semi-arid climate of Morocco is not ideal for sugarcane farming, therefore the local government wants to evaluate the possibility of using another plant to produce ethanol.
The Moroccans are seeking experience accumulated over the course of several decades by Brazil, and the minister was invited to come to the country to have a close look at the functioning of the sector.
Also in the field of energy, Amorim and Amina talked about the cooperation of Petrobras for oil exploration in the Moroccan coast, and the production of oil using bituminous schist in the Arab country. Exchange in the field of schist is already underway.
With the minister of Economy and Finance, Salaheddine Mezouar, the Brazilian chancellor discussed the trade agreement that the Mercosur started negotiating with the Arab country in the second half of 2004.
According to information supplied by the Itamaraty, the two ministers expect for the deal to progress in the upcoming rounds of negotiation. The idea is to have a fixed tariff preference agreement first, and then to establish a free trade agreement.
Mezouar, according to the Itamaraty, also showed much interest in the Family Purse, an income transfer programme of the Brazilian federal government.
Amorim also met with the Moroccan prime minister, Abbas El Fassi. They discussed international and regional political issues, especially the matter of the Western Sahara, a territory controlled by Morocco over which there is a dispute with Algeria.
They also spoke of the good economical situation of the two countries, and of the ethanol issue.
Morocco is the second stop on a tour of the Brazilian chancellor to North Africa, which started in Algerian and will end in Tunisia. Today, he will sign eight agreements with the minister of Foreign Trade and Cooperation, Taieb Fassi Fihri, in areas such as health, environment, agricultural cooperation and animal inspection. Amorim will also participate in the meeting of the Brazil-Morocco Bilateral Mixed Commission.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum