Moroccan foreign minister in Paris

Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Mohamed Benaissa, who started on Tuesday a working visit to France, held a one-hour meeting with President Jacques Chirac.

Talks covered the latest developments of the Sahara issue, the Middle East peace process and the situation in the Maghreb.

At the end of the meeting, Benaissa underlined before reporters "the exceptional" relations existing between King Hassan II of Morocco and President Chirac, between the two peoples and between the two governments.

The bilateral issues have been discussed in the atmosphere of "intimacy and friendship" marking French-Moroccan relations, Benaissa said.

He added that talks also covered the Sahara issue and the latest developments of the referendum that France backs.

The situation in the Maghreb in general has also been brought up "in a positive way, for we are attached to the stability, security and prosperity of the region," the Moroccan foreign minister said.

As to the Middle East peace process, Benaissa renewed Morocco's commitment to world peace in general and to peace in the Middle East in particular, underlining the pioneer role played by King Hassan II in backing the Mideast peace process.

King Hassan II has been the first promoter of peace in the Middle East; when favorable circumstances are gathered, Morocco will be happy to contribute to the reactivation of this process, he said.

Morocco's tireless efforts to establish a fair peace in the Middle East were also underlined by Benaissa in a statement to Radio France International (RFI). He said Morocco backs all moves meant to establish a fair peace, guaranteeing to all sides their rights to sovereignty and security, and especially the Palestinian people's right to set up on their land a safe, free and sovereign state.

He expressed hope that all the peace process tracks would resume under better prospects, including the Syrian and Lebanese tracks.

Benaissa, who is visiting France for the first time since his appointment as Morocco's minister of foreign affairs and cooperation in early April, will also confer with French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine and other French officials and parliamentarians.