King Hassan to sign free trade zone agreement in Cairo

King Hassan of Morocco on Tuesday night started a visit to Cairo, his first visit outside his country since 1995, during which he will discuss bilateral and regional issues relating to the peace process.

King Hassan, who is on a three-day visit to Egypt, had visited it in 1995 when he took part in the Sherm al-Sheikh Summit called for by the US and Egypt to salvage the peace process following a series of suicide operations against Israel.

The Egyptian daily al-Ahram said that Mubarak and al-Hassan will sign at least some 13 trade, economic and cultural agreements aiming at encouraging cooperation between the two countries. The agreements will be signed according to a "comprehensive treaty" including an accord on a free trade zone to help businessmen in the two countries.

The agreements aim at increasing the volume of trade between the two countries to US $200 million by the year 1999 from its current level of US $20 million, MENA reported.