CODEL DUNCAN MEETS WITH MINISTER DELEGATE FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 000177

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/MAG

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/27/2011
TAGS: PREL PGOV OVIP MO
SUBJECT: CODEL DUNCAN MEETS WITH MINISTER DELEGATE FOR
FOREIGN AFFAIRS, TOURS CASABLANCA PORT

REF: A. RABAT 132

B. 05 RABAT 563

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Wayne Bush for reasons 1.4 (b),
(d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: As part of a January 24-26 visit to
Morocco, Codel Duncan met with Minister Delegate for Foreign
Affairs Taieb Fassi Fihri and toured the Port of Casablanca
on January 25. Fassi Fihri underscored Morocco's desire for
fostering dialogue with the U.S. Congress and, by extension,
the American people. He emphasized that the U.S.-Morocco
Free Trade Agreement (FTA),which took effect on January 1,
2006, is not just a trade agreement but also a platform upon
which Morocco will construct a business-friendly environment
for U.S. investors. He highlighted the Tanger-Med port under
construction in northern Morocco as one element of a new,
modern Morocco. As reported Ref A, Congressman Jeff Miller
(R-FL) conveyed to Fassi Fihri U.S. concerns about Iran's
development of nuclear capability. The Deputy Chief of
Mission hosted a reception in honor of the delegation;
several Moroccan parliamentarians, human rights activists,
and various GOM officials attended. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) Congressman John Duncan (R-TN) led a congressional
delegation representing the House Transportation and
Infrastructure Committee to Morocco on January 24-26.
Congressman James Oberstar (D-MN),Congressman Henry Brown
(R-SC),Congressman Jeff Miller (R-FL),and congressional
staff accompanied Congressman Duncan to official meetings
during the visit. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Director
for Multilateral Affairs Mohamed Loulichki, former Moroccan
DCM in Washington Mohamed Ariad, Advisor to the Deputy FM
Abdelmounaim Farrouk, MFA North American Affairs Division
Chief Wassane Zailachi, and MFA United States Desk Officer
Alaaddine Benhadi attended the delegation's January 25
meeting with Fassi Fihri. The DCM joined the Codel in the
Fassi Fihri meeting.

Morocco Wants Dialogue with Congress
--------------


3. (SBU) Following a Country Team briefing led by Ambassador
Riley, Codel Duncan met with Minister Delegate for Foreign
Affairs Taieb Fassi Fihri. Welcoming the Codel to the MFA on
January 25, Fassi Fihri said he was grateful for the
delegation's visit to Morocco. The MFA wants a dialogue with
the U.S. Congress and seeks more knowledge about the American
people by listening to and learning from their elected
representatives. U.S.-Moroccan relations are strong and
feature a new framework for cooperation, which began during
the Clinton Administration and has continued under President
Bush. The axes of U.S.-Moroccan relations include security
cooperation, political dialogue, and economic ties, most
notably via the FTA, which took effect on January 1, 2006.
Morocco is "proud" of its designation as a Major Non-Nato
Ally, added Fassi Fihri, and has undertaken to modernize its
infrastructure to appeal to U.S. investors seeking U.S.
standards of quality.

Codel Grateful for Strong Relations
--------------


4. (SBU) Congressman John Duncan (R-TN) thanked Fassi Fihri
for receiving the delegation on such short notice and noted
that he had the pleasure of leading a congressional
delegation to Morocco in 2004. He said he was pleased that
the FTA passed by a "large margin" in Congress and commented
that the agreement constitutes a gesture of friendship with
Morocco. Speaking in fluent French, Congressman James
Oberstar (D-MN) acknowledged the long history of friendly
relations between the U.S. and Morocco, which, he noted, is a
crossroads of civilizations, languages, cultures, and
commerce. He said that the United States should lean on its
friendship with Morocco to better understand the Arab and
Islamic world.


5. (SBU) Congressman Oberstar noted that he has always been
impressed with Morocco's strong diplomatic corps in
Washington, which by reaching out to Congress, has
demonstrated a high degree of sophistication. Loulichki
remarked that the MFA regularly instructs its Washington


embassy to meet with Congress; the Moroccan ambassador should
also be venturing into the American heartland and visiting
with Members of Congress in their constituencies, Loulichki
said, but opportunities for such visits are constrained by
the embassy's small size.

Bullish on the FTA
--------------


6. (C) Fassi Fihri said that for Morocco the FTA is not just
a trade agreement; it is a part of the platform upon which
Morocco will work to ensure a "good environment for
business." Other elements of this platform include
anti-corruption, investor guarantees, judicial reform, and
diversification of Morocco's external trade, 65 percent of
which is with Europe. Fassi Fihri noted that China has
emerged as a big competitor to Morocco but "does not always
play by the same rules." He said that Morocco looks to the
United States for technology, investment, and know-how.
Morocco wants to export a "modern" product -- whether it be
fish, textiles or agricultural products -- through modern
ports, according to Fassi Fihri.

Tanger-Med Part of Larger Development Plan
--------------


7. (SBU) In addition to modernizing 3 or 4 important ports
along the Atlantic coast, Morocco is also constructing a new
port, Tanger-Med, located on the Moroccan side of the Straits
of Gibraltar, said Fassi Fihri. The new port will generate
increased economic activity in the north, which, he
explained, has been marginalized since Moroccan independence
in 1956. Fassi Fihri remarked that King Mohammed was in the
north at the moment to ensure that "things go the right way."
Congressman Oberstar stressed the importance of
intermodalism and noted that the Tanger-Med project presents
a great opportunity for Morocco. Fassi Fihri said that
Tanger-Med is an integrated project featuring railway and
highway connections. Morocco has closed the existing port in
Tangiers because it is located downtown and next to the
city's beaches, commented Fassi Fihri. He emphasized that
the Tanger-Med port is just one element of Morocco's broader
program to build infrastructure and expand commercial
development. The focus is shifting to job creation and
education. For this reason, the King's National Human
Development Initiative is the country's most important policy
over the next 10 years. With parliamentary elections looming
in 2007, observed Fassi Fihri, there is pressure on the
government to act and deliver.

Visit to Casablanca Port
--------------


8. (SBU) The delegation visited the Port of Casablanca on
January 25. Port Commandant M'hammed Atmani received the
delegation and gave them a narrated tour of the port
facility. Atmani demonstrated the operation of the port's
cargo scanners, showing how cargo is physically scanned, and
explaining the results that appeared on the screen.
Questions from members focused on the capacity of the port,
speed with which cargo is loaded and unloaded, and the
infrastructure and regulatory improvements the GOM has made
to meet the International Maritime Organization's
International Ship and Port Facility Code (ISPS) requirements
(ref B). Codel Duncan noted the physical improvements made,
but agreed with Atmani's assessment that the port's
identification and access control system need refining.

Biographic Note
--------------


9. (SBU) Ambassador Loulichki has worked for the MFA for 30
years, including 6 years as legal advisor to Morocco's
Mission to the UN and 3 years as Deputy PermRep in New York.
Loulichki left Morocco on January 28, 2006 for an assignment
as Morocco's PermRep to the UN Mission in Geneva. Ambassador
Loulichki has two children. He speaks fluent English.


10. (U) Codel Duncan did not have the opportunity to clear
this message.
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Riley