Africa, M.E. and economic ties top Morocco-US summit talks

Morocco's King Mohammed VI and US President Bill Clinton held on Tuesday at the White House a one-hour tete-a-tete meeting.

White House Spokesman, Joe Lockhart said "They discussed Africa as a whole, the U.S. role in helping Africa as far as economic reform and dealing with the many issues the countries there face. They had a serious discussion of West Sahara, and also the King spent sometime discussing with the President his vision of Morocco in the future as far as expanding human rights and democracy.

After the one-on-one meeting, they proceeded to an expanded meeting with delegations of the two countries. The meeting featured "bilateral economic issues, discussion on economic reform in Morocco, a short discussion on the Middle East peace process. And then they finished with a short discussion on our bilateral military relationship," said the spokesman at the daily press briefing.

Asked on the US position in the Sahara issue, Lockhart renewed the US support to the United Nations efforts to reach a settlement. Washington will continue to work with the world body on the issue, he said.