Palestinian cause a priority in King Mohammed talks in Washington, fm
Morocco-USA, Politics, 4/20/2002

The Palestinian cause will be among the priority topics to be discussed in Washington by King Mohammed VI with President George W. Bush, Moroccan foreign and cooperation minister, Mohamed Benaissa said.

King Mohammed VI will head Sunday to the USA for a work visit. He will meet Tuesday with President Bush at the White House.

The Palestinian cause, the right of the Palestinian people to liberation as well as the Arab-Israeli conflict will be among the priority topics to be discussed by King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee (an off-shoot of the Organization of Islamic Conference), with President Bush, Benaissa told MAP news agency.

King Mohammed VI will meet with President Bush, Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfield, Secretary of State, Colin Powell, US Trade Representative, Robert Zoellick, as well as other officials of the US congress and of the civil society, Benaissa said.

Talks will cover a wide range of issues of common concern pertaining to bilateral relations and political and strategic developments in the world, particularly in the Middle East and Africa, he added.

Benaissa said the Algerian-Moroccan conflict over the Sahara "will undoubtedly be studied with the US officials, given the impact the conflict has on the foundations and objectives of the Arab maghreb Union."

"The US administration is aware of the dossier of our national cause that it considers with much understanding," he said, adding "the officials of the two countries discussed the in several occasions the nature of this artificial conflict, its developments and its impact on security and stability in the regions of the Arab Maghreb and of North Africa."

Benaissa underlined that "Africa, to which King Mohammed VI grants a major interest, as well as the challenges facing African peoples and the initiatives and projects concerning the promotion of development, stability and peace in the continent, such as the NEPAD project, will also be on the agenda of talks between King Mohammed VI and President Bush and with the key officials of the US administration."

Benaissa recalled that Morocco is one of USA's oldest friends and Rabat is bound to Washington by a 1787 friendship and cooperation treaty, the first that the USA ever concluded with a foreign country.

Previous Stories:
  President Bush looks forward to meeting King Mohamed   (4/10/2002)
  King Mohammed on work visit to USA as of April 21   (4/9/2002)
  King Mohammed to Powell, why not visit Jerusalem first   (4/9/2002)

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