Syrian president's official visit to Morocco opens promising prospects

The official visit President Bashar Al-Assad of Syria is paying to Morocco as of this Monday at the invitation of King Mohammed VI will have a strong political impact and will open promising prospects to bilateral relations.

King Mohammed VI is to have talks with his illustrious guest this Monday in the ancient city of Fez, 200 km north-east of Rabat, and will host a dinner banquet in his honor.

The visit, the first by President Al-Assad since his coming to power in July 2000, following the demise of his father (June 2000), will highlight by the setting up of a high joint commission, that will be co-chaired by the two states' prime ministers.

The visit evidences the two states' shared resolve to consolidate their ties that are based on a common heritage and shared values and as put by Syrian ambassador to Morocco, Youssef Joumoua, the visit will provide opportunity to the two heads of state to adopt complementary stands to "back Arab rights and drive back the pressures on Arab people." They will also discuss "the Arab world interests in light of the new data in the region, the developments at the world level in addition to bilateral relations," the diplomat said in statements to the media

The Syrian diplomat also recalled Moroccan soldiers' participation in the 1973 war saying, "Morocco's stand during the liberation war in October 1973, will remain for ever in our mind." "Moroccan blood was shed on the Golan heights for the defense of Arab land against Zionist aggressions," the diplomat said.

When the late king Hassan II visited Syria in 1992, he prayed on the tombs of the Moroccan martyrs buried in the Chouhada cemetery in the region of Damascus.

Moroccan-Syrian economic relations are ruled by several accords, mainly the accord on trade exchanges and economic cooperation, the accords on air transport, handicraft, tourism and hydraulics, and the accords on cultural, agricultural and environment cooperation.

The volume of trade exchanges remains however low and did not exceed 155 million DH in 1999 (about $14.76 million). Morocco imports from Syria cotton, perfumes, paper and spices and exports fertilizers, foodstuffs and some manufactured products.

During the official visit, April 9 through 11, President Al-Assad will be accompanied by his spouse.