Ashwani Kumar to represent PM in Moroccan conference

New Delhi, Dec 5 (UNI) Minister of State for Industry Ashwani Kumar will represent Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the 4th Edition of Annual International Conference on 'Fundamentals of Investment: Education, Training and Employment' being held on December 7 at Rabat in Morocco.

Mr Kumar, who is leaving for Morocco tomorrow, will carry a message from the Prime Minister for his Moroccan counterpart Driss Jettou.

The Minister of State for Industry, who will head the Indian delegation of business leaders, will address the plenary session of the conference on Thursday immediately following the address of King Mohamed VI.

India has been designated as the 'Country of Honour' in the conference, which is expected to further strengthen the relations between the two countries.

In Rabat, Dr Kumar is scheduled to call on Mr Jattou, Foreign Minister Mohamed Benaissa and Mr Rachid Talbi El Alami, Minister delegate to the PM of Morocco.

With Morocco's geographical location as a gateway to Europe in the North and Sub-Saharan Africa in the South, it is strategically located for a closer economic engagement with India.

It is the largest exporter of phosphates to India. India's exports to Morocco in 2005 stood at 159.58 million dollars and imports into India from Morocco totalled 459.48 million dollars.

Total bilateral trade stood at 619.06 million dollars in 2005 and is targeted to be raised to one billion dollars in the near future.

Immense scope exists for cooperation between the two countries in tourism, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, textiles and agricultural machinery.

UNI SD KR BS1506