Jettou-Powell meeting friendly and positive
Morocco-USA, Politics, 1/12/2004

Moroccan Prime Minister, Driss Jettou, who is currently paying an official visit to the United States, and US State Secretary, Colin Powell, had "wide-ranging" and "friendly and positive discussion," said spokesman for the state department, Richard Boucher, adding that the two officials noted "the long friendship" between Morocco and the United States.

The Sahara issue and cooperation in the fight against terrorism were brought up, Boucher said. "We are all looking for the opportunity to make progress toward resolving that dispute," he added.

Hailing once again the local elections held in Morocco last September, Richard Boucher termed as "extremely positive" the royal pardon granted to 33 prisoners, including all the remaining political detainees in Morocco.

According to the spokesman, talks also covered, briefly, the issue of the Leila/Tourah Islet, a tiny island located some 200 meters away from Moroccan shores. Boucher voiced satisfaction over the US secretary of state's mediation to defuse the 2000 Moroccan-Spanish spat triggered when Morocco sent security agents on a mission to monitor illegal immigration and terrorist networks.

Boucher said "we are pleased that the outcome (of Powell's action) seems to be leading to more positive Spanish-Moroccan cooperation in many areas."

Relations bettered some 18 months later, after king Mohammed VI allowed oil slick-stricken Spanish fishermen from the northwestern region of Galicia, to work in Moroccan waters.

"Among the areas that came up were: the free trade agreement currently being negotiated, the Arab-Israeli issues; questions of Iraq; the UN role of reconstruction efforts there, U.S.-Moroccan cooperation in the fight against terrorism and common commitment to ending terrorism as a threat to both our societies," said the state department spokesman.

Earlier, the Moroccan premier held meetings with top US officials, notably defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, national security advisor, Condoleeza Rice, vice president, Dick Cheney, assistant secretary of state, William Burns, trade minister, Donald Evans and deputy secretary of state, Richard Armitage.

Driss Jettou also conferred with head of the USAID, Andrew Natsios.

Previous Stories:
  No democracy can be consolidated without fighting poverty, says premier   (1/9/2004)
  Moroccan premier holds talks with US Senator   (1/6/2004)
  US Senate confirms Riley as ambassador to Morocco   (12/15/2003)

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