PARIS, Oct 10 (KUNA) -- The French Foreign Ministry revealed here Friday that the EU is to boost relations in a number of areas with Morocco during an EU foreign affairs council meeting next Monday in Luxembourg.

The meeting, which will be hosted by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and attended by his Moroccan counterpart Fassi Firhi, aims at putting the final touches to the granting of "advanced status" to Morocco in its relations with the EU.

The French Foreign Deputy Spokesman Frederic Desagneaux recalled that the boosting of relations with Morocco has been a priority for France since 2005 and also had been one of the focal points of the French Presidency of the EU, which began in July of this year.

"Adoption of this advanced status is good news and a decisive element at more than one level," he added.

He affirmed that it is the first time this status has been granted to any country in the region and will lead to "closer and deeper" relations.

He noted that Morocco has exerted a lot of efforts "notably in the matter of economic reforms, human rights and governance".

The French official indicated that the advanced status accord would be "the foundation" of a new relationship between Europe and Morocco and will affect "political, economic, commercial, cultural and human" relations.

He added that the agreement would also affect more complex issues like "strategic questions, collective security, the fight against terrorism, energy, the environment, migration management, good governance" among other domains.