- With the launching of works of the high-speed train line Tangier-Casablanca,

- that is an important step crossed by Morocco for the development of its infrastructures.

- His Majesty King Mohammed VI, accompanied by French President Nicolas Sarkozy

- and His Royal Highness Prince Al Saoud,

- launched this project that will allow to improve the national transport network

- and to answer a need that keeps on increasing.

- This project comes to mark a qualitative step in the railroad sector

- to face this increasing demand for transportation.

- Moreover, it is a textbook case for Moroccan engineers,

- whether they are the Moroccan Railroad National Office

- or all the Moroccan engineering consulting firms involved in the project.

- A protocol for agreement was signed between Morocco and France,

- between the Moroccan Railroad National Office and SNCF.

- The high-speed train line linking Tangier to Casablanca

- will permit to reduce the time of journey of two hours

- versus 4 hours and 45 minutes, in the time being.

- It is extremely moving for us to come and set the founding stone

- of the Arab first high-speed train,

- built by France, in Morocco,

- Tangier Rabat Casa, later Marrakesh.

- silence

- I believe Morocco does the right choice, to be equipped as a modern country,

- there will be businesses created, foreign investments that will come,

- there will be the attraction of a changing country.

- And one has to look at the interest for the country.

- I don’t know of any country that made the choice of high speed and lost.

- 20 billiard Dirham will be invested and create 2,500 direct and indirect jobs.

- It will gather Morocco, France, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

- Concerning the starting of the high-speed Tangier-Casablanca,

- it will take place in December 2015.