The statement said Brussels and Rabat expect to sign a second free-trade agreement on services in 2009 and a third agreement covering non-agricultural goods and capital, although the statement did not say when.

According to Brussels, the 27 EU member states exported €12.3bn ($16.8bn) worth of goods and services to Morocco in 2007, compared to imports from Morocco of €7.8bn.

The statement was agreed during talks between Morocco's Foreign Minister Taieb Fassi Fihri and his counterparts from EU states.

Both sides said that they would arrange EU-Morocco summits in the future.