Morocco, Ghana Establish Closer Co-Operation

Morocco and Ghana have established a joint co-operation commission to guide their bilateral relations.

Under an agreement signed during the two-day visit in Morocco by President John Kufour, the two countries also decided to re-open their embassies in Rabat and Accra.

They also established a legal framework to streamline their co-operation in the maritime and fishing sector, the Moroccan fisheries ministry announced Thursday.

The agreement was reached following talks between the Moroccan and Ghanaian maritime and fishing ministers, Said Chbaatou and Ishmael Ashietey, respectively.

The Ghanaian minister said that he looked forward to Morocco's support to the fisheries sector, which plays a "capital role" in the development of his country.

He said that Ghana wants to learn from the Moroccan experience in the fields of training, research, surveillance, stock evaluation and the promotion of partnership between the private sectors.

Chbaatou expressed his department's readiness to co-operate with Ghana in the area of maritime scientific research, training and fish stock industries.

The two ministers underscored the need to co-operate within such regional and international bodies as the International commission for the conservation of tuna in the Atlantic (ICCAT) and the ministerial conference on fish stock co-operation among African countries bordering the Atlantic Ocean.

They said that such a move would help to harmonise their positions on the conservation and preservation of fish resources.

At the end of the meeting, a draft memorandum of understanding was submitted to the Ghanaian minister for scrutiny.

Both parties pending their signature will examine the project.