Morocco, Syria have convergent views on Arab issues, party leader

Assistant secretary general of Syria's Baath Party, Abdellah Al Ahmar, who is leading a delegation of his party on a visit to Morocco, said the two countries have converging views issues of interest to the Arab states.

Following a meeting Monday with first secretary general of Morocco's Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), Mohamed El Yazghi, Al Ahmar told MAP the settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict must take into consideration the Palestinian people's right to create an independent Palestinian state with Al Quds Al Sharif as a capital, the return of Palestinian refugees and the end of the Israeli occupation of the occupied territories in Syria's Golan heights, Palestine and Lebanon.

Settlement of the issue must be founded on principles of international legality and UN resolutions, he said, adding that the Arab states have always supported peace, mainly through the Arab initiative floated during the Arab Summit of Beirut.

On his part, El Yazghi told the Moroccan news agency that the meeting, which was an occasion to "coordinate the two parties' positions, part of an agreement binding the two parties, also dealt with the building of the Maghreb Union (UMA) and Morocco's territorial integrity.

Talks also covered the coming Arab Summit to be held in Tunisia May 22-23, he said.