Lebanese president starts official visit to Morocco

Lebanese president, Emile Lahoud, arrived this Wednesday in Morocco for an official visit at the invitation of King Mohammed VI.

At the Agadir-Inezgane airport, the Lebanese president, who is accompanied by his spouse, was welcomed by the king, prince Moulay Rachid and Princess Lalla Hasna.

The king later on hosted at the royal palace an official welcome ceremony in honor of the Lebanese head of state.

The visit is seen in Morocco and Lebanon as a new step towards the consolidation of privileged cooperation and friendship ties.

Cooperation between the two states is governed by several cooperation accords. In 1997, the two states set up a high joint commission, chaired by their respective prime ministers. However, bilateral trade is still weak as in 2000, commercial exchanges did not exceed US$ 10 million.

In an interview with MAP office in Beirut, Lahoud said his visit will help consolidate ties between Rabat and Beirut and will provide opportunity to debate all issues pertaining to bilateral cooperation, especially in political, economic and social realms. He also lauded Morocco's backing to his country and said Morocco was among the first Arab countries to understand the key role Lebanon can play in the region.

He cited the initiative by the late king Hassan II to create a tripartite committee that paved the way for the Taef accord, which put an end to the civil war in Lebanon.