French President Hollande to visit Morocco

French President Francois Hollande will make an official visit to Morocco on April 3 and 4, to cement bilateral ties between the two countries, announced the presidency's office in a statement on Tuesday."The President of the Republic, Francois Hollande, will pay a state visit to the Kingdom of Morocco, Casablanca and Rabat from April 3 to 4, 2013, at the invitation of His Majesty Mohammed VI, King of Morocco," the Elysee Palace said.During the two-day visit, the French head of state will be received by His Majesty Mohammed VI, and meet with Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane, President of the House of Representatives Karim Ghellab and Mohammed Cheikh Biadillah, President of the Chamber of Advisors.Moreover, the French president is scheduled to deliver a speech to the Parliament and address closing remarks at the Economic Forum with business leaders from the two countries, the statement added.Hollande is also to present the signing ceremony of bilateral agreements and contracts and the launch of the water processing station in Mediouna, according to the statement.France is Morocco's leading trading partner and represents 18.3 percent of Morocco's external trade, according to the figure published on French foreign ministry's website.