King Hassan receives speaker of Argentine senate

King Hassan II received in Rabat on Thursday Speaker of the Argentine Senate, Carlos F. Ruckauf, and decorated him with the great cordon of the Alaouite Wisam.

Ruckauf, who is also vice-president of Argentina, arrived in Morocco on Tuesday with a message from President Carlos Menem to King Hassan II.

The Argentine official held talks with several members of the Moroccan Cabinet, including Prime Minister Abderrahmane Youssoufi. He also held talks with the chairman of the Human Rights Advisory Council, and with the speakers of the two houses of the Moroccan Parliament.

The two countries' legislative bodies signed on the occasion documents setting up two Moroccan-Argentinean parliamentary friendship groups as well as a "Rabat declaration" that sketches the broad outlines for cooperation between the two parliaments.

During these talks, the Argentine official voiced his country's support for Morocco's stands and interests and called for upgrading bilateral cooperation through the promotion of investment opportunities and the exchange of visits between the two countries' businessmen.

Ruckauf is to attend this Friday afternoon the opening of the Moroccan Parliament's fall session to be chaired by King Hassan II.