King Mohammed starts Tuesday official visit to Senegal

Morocco's King Mohammed VI will pay starting Tuesday an official visit to Senegal as the two countries are boasting better-than-ever relations between both the two states and the two heads of state.

Senegal has openly expressed its backing to Morocco in the Sahara issue and its president, Abdoulaye Wade, who visited Morocco last year, had said it is high time for Africa that the issue was settled.

For Senegalese foreign minister, Cheikh Tidiane Cadio, African unity is weakened, paralyzed, as long as Morocco is absent. A founding member of the Organization of African Unity, Morocco withdrew in 1984 from the Organization to protest the illegal admission of the puppet Sahrawi republic.

Cheikh Tidiane Cadio said his country is tirelessly endeavoring for Morocco's return to the African fold as the "African unity project will (otherwise) be affected by a congenital defect that will be difficult to correct." The head of the Senegalese diplomacy said the royal visit will mark a new turning point in relations between the two countries which are already linked by a tradition of secular friendship, reflected in deep trust, sincere affection and permanent consultation between the two heads of state.

However, while political relations are excellent, economic ties are somewhat lagging behind despite a significant growth in Moroccan exports which jumped from 53.2 million DH (us$ 4.5 mln) in 1990 to 167 million DH ($ 14.4 mln) in 1999. This was also noted by Senegalese paper "Le Soleil" which wrote that economic exchanges do not match ambitions by the two African countries' authorities.

The paper said the visit by King Mohammed VI will be an opportunity to finalize some ideas expected to give impetus to economic exchanges. The daily cites part of the drives to boost economic ties and cooperation at large that the Moroccan air carrier "RAM" bought 51% of Air Senegal International and that president Wade decided to entrust to Moroccan airports authority (ONDA) the construction of an airport near the capital city, Dakar.