India, Morocco launch Chamber of Commerce

The India-Morocco Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IMCCI) was inaugurated by Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari and Moroccan Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane in Rabat last night. The Chamber is a new initiative taken by the two countries to strengthen their relations in trade and investment. The motto is, "Shake hands, strengthen ties, go with IMCCI."

Speaking on the occasion, the Vice President said, in the world of today and tomorrow, there is a need for bodies like the Chamber of Commerce which are repositories of information which businesses need.

The Vice President also visited Mohammad VI Institute for training of Imams where he had an interaction with Imams and intellectuals. Earlier in the day, India and Morocco signed Memoranda of Understanding in the



fields of cultural exchange and training of professionals. The MoUs were signed during delegation-level talks in the presence of Mr Ansari and the Moroccan Prime Minister at Dar al-Kakhzen, the official residence of the King of Morocco. Three MoUs in various fields were also finalized. In a joint statement after the talks, the Vice President said, India sees Morocco as a trusted partner in a number of fields. He said, during talks with the Moroccan Prime Minister, they reviewed all aspects of their bilateral co-operation and emphasised the need to identify new areas of collaboration.

Today, Mr Ansari will give a lecture at the Mohammad V University before leaving for Marrakech. He will proceed to Tunisia tomorrow on the final leg of his 2-nation visit to North Africa.