King Mohammed receives former French home minister

Morocco's King Mohammed VI received Tuesday at the royal palace in Rabat, former French Minister of the Interior and presidential candidate, Jean Pierre Chevenement who was accompanied by Member of the European Parliament, Sami Nair.

Chevenement told reporters that his meeting with the sovereign was very enriching for France-Morocco relationship and that it surveyed a large set of issues, including the problems posed in relations between Europe and the Maghreb and between France and Morocco.

He said he had been impressed by the sovereign's frank and straight standpoints on the topics raised, especially the international situation in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks and prospects for settling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Chevenement said talks also covered the move related to the setting up of a representative body of Muslims in France that he had initiated while he was minister of the interior.

The former French home minister-- who visited Morocco Monday and Tuesday part of a Maghreban tour that also led him to Algeria and Tunisia-- underscored the need for Europe to promote relations with South Mediterranean countries. He said he would grant importance to France-Maghreb relations in his electoral campaign. The French presidential elections are to be held in the Spring of 2002.

In a statement he had made upon arrival in Rabat, Chevenement paid "a deserved homage" to Morocco for "progress in the path of democracy under the leadership of the late King Hassan II and his successor Mohammed VI."

He argued that the Morocco-European Union association agreement should not be limited to a mere free-trade zone, adding structural funds should be earmarked for Morocco to develop its infrastructure and address priority sectors like education, health and housing.

Of last September's terror attacks against the USA, he said the struggle against terrorism should encompass fighting the causes of terrorism. We cannot leave unresolved old problems, such as the Palestinian and Iraqi issues," said Chevenement, who had resigned from government during the gulf war.

He also supported the creation of a Palestinian state as the best guarantee of Israeli security and called for lifting the embargo enforced against Iraq.