Sahara issue settlement would be a major asset for integration in the region, US official

Settling the Sahara issue would be a major asset for the Maghreb region, and would help it attract more foreign investments, US undersecretary of state of political affairs, Marc Grossman, said.

Speaking at a press conference in Rabat Thursday, Grossman said the US administration's supports efforts by UN secretary general's personal envoy, James Baker, who is "a man of creativity and integrity, who has offered himself" to solve this issue.

It is a person who should be listened to carefully, he added.

The US official said his visit is to underscore the importance of Morocco-US relations, and the US' firm commitments towards Morocco and the countries of the region.

King Mohammed VI, who was accompanied by Prince Moulay Rachid, received Grossman Thursday.

Marc Grossman's visit to Morocco is part of a tour that took him to Greece, Tunisia and Algeria.