Moroccan foreign minister confers with US peer

Moroccan Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Minister Mohamed Benaissa conferred in Washington Monday with U.S Secretary of State Madeleine Albright on bilateral relations and current issues of common concern.

Benaissa also held talks with several U.S officials, including Assistant Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Pickering, U.S coordinator for the Middle East peace process Dennis Ross, and U.S Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs Martin Indyk.

Talks focused on Moroccan-U.S relations and future actions to establish peace, stability and progress in the Middle East and North Africa.

Benaissa, who bid farewell to Madeleine Albright at the end of his mission as Moroccan ambassador to the U.S, was guest to a dinner banquet offered in his honor at the state department.

During the dinner, attended by several top officials in the United States, Martin Indyk lauded dynamism shown by Benaissa who will leave in Washington a "capital of friendship."

Benaissa's appointment last April 8 by King Hassan II as foreign affairs and cooperation minister clearly shows the desire of the King to consolidate the close cooperation ties with the United States, Indyk said.