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Class: Confidential
Date: 29-10-2007 at 16:04
From: Embassy in Rabat
In : Ministry of Foreign Affairs - USA
stations to inform: U.S. Embassy in London, Brussels, Paris, Madrid
- French President Nicolas Sarkozy visited Morocco from 22 to 24 October 2007, considered a success by both parties.
- During a visit to the Moroccan parliament, Sarkozy declared his support to Morocco's autonomy plan as the basis for a settlement negotiated solution to the Sahara.
- Sarkozy has also recognized that the loss of the contract of sale of military aircraft Rafale French "is due to a lack of competitiveness, and that Morocco has had a better offer
- Sarkozy has made nearly $ 3 billion of euros of business transactions and sales of military equipment during the visit including a frigate and upgrading of Puma helicopters and 140 armored vehicles 25
- The visit had a favorable attention in local media, featuring images the two heads of state as equal partners and friends, pictures of Sarkozy welcoming the king, family Royal Moroccan officials and citizens.
- French companies have signed a contract to build a TGV network at a cost of 2 billion euros.
- The French nuclear group Areva has signed an agreement with Societe Nationale des Phosphates (OCP) to extract uranium from phosphoric acid Morocco. In a press release, the company noted that total reserves of Morocco is 6 million tons, twice the global reserves of uranium ore.
- The independent Arabic newspaper, Al Massae, expressed his resentment Whereas the French diplomacy that is "governed by traditional concepts and obtuse "and accused the president of condescension by issuing a certificate of good conduct for the regime.
- Sarkozy, during his speech to the Moroccan parliament, said that Islam is synonymous with kindness, tolerance and peace, while political Islam is synonymous with separation and hostility towards each other. The newspaper of the Islamist party has denounced the term considered a slap to Islamist deputies in the audience.
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- Sarkozy was accompanied throughout the visit, including at a banquet with the royal family by his Minister of Justice (of Moroccan origin) Rachida Dati.
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