ANKARA - Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc left for Morocco on Sunday as the guest of Abdelwahed Radi, the speaker of the House of Representatives of Morocco.
Speaking to reporters at Ankara's Esenboga Airport, Arinc said that Turkey and Morocco had relations rooted in history and stated that the two countries had a fruitful cooperation based on mutual interests under international organizations especially the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).
Arinc stressed that Moroccan Prime Minister Driss Jettou's visit to Turkey on April 6-7, 2004 would contribute to further development of relations between Turkey and Morocco.
Underlining that free trade agreement which was signed between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Jettou was the first free trade agreement that Turkey signed with an Arab and African country, Arinc said that he believed that this agreement would further improve trade volume which amounted to 260 million U.S. dollars in 2003.
Arinc and accompanying delegation will spend a night in Paris and proceed to Rabat, Morocco on Monday.
Parliament Speaker Arinc will meet with Abdelwahed Radi and Moroccan Parliament's Upper Chamber Speaker Mustapha Oukacha on May 24.
Following meetings with chairmen of parliamentary groups, Arinc and accompanying delegation will hold talks with Morocco-Turkey Inter-parliamentary Friendship Group Chairman Najib Boulif and Moroccan Foreign Affairs and Co-operation Minister Mohamed Benaissa.
On May 25, Arinc will meet with Moroccan Prime Minister Driss Jettou.
Arinc will visit Casablanca and Marrakech.
Arinc and the accompanying delegation will depart from Morocco on May 28.
(EÖ-BRC) 23.05.2004