Tunisian president due to Morocco on coming month

Tunisian President Zein al-Abidin bin Ali is expected to pay a formal visit to Morocco in the second half of March at the invitation of King Hassan II, the first visit of its sort in 10 years.

The Tunisian president has visited Morocco twice since he come into power in 1987: once to attend the establishing summit for the Arab Maghreb Union in Marrakesh in 1989, and again to take part in the fourth meeting of the Maghreb summit in Rabat in 1993, but the coming visit will be his first formal visit to Morocco.

The visit comes as Moroccan - Tunisian relations have recently witnessed an improvement, especially after the visit to Tunisia by Moroccan Prime Minister Abderrahmane Youssoufi in July 1998, during which Youssoufi headed the Moroccan delegation to the meetings of the high joint committee after a freeze that lasted for three years.

Tunisian sources said bin Ali will discuss with King Hassan II and Youssoufi regional and bilateral issues, such as the means of activating the Arab Maghreb Union, the project of US partnership, and the prospects for the Middle East.