High level Moroccan-Saudi talks in Rabat

King Hassan II held on Wednesday evening in Rabat tete-a-tete talks with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, who arrived on the same day in Morocco, as part of a tour of seven African, Arab and European countries.

The King had earlier hosted a function in honor of Crown Prince Abdullah and the party accompanying him, that included Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal; the Saudi Ambassador to Washington, Prince Bandar Bin Sultan; and the minister of finance and economy, Ibrahim Assaf.

Talks between King Hassan II and Crown Prince Abdullah are taking place at a crucial moment for the Arab states, the Saudi foreign minister told the Moroccan television channel "RTM."

Crown Prince Abdullah who had earlier visited South Africa and Italy will spend a private visit in Casablanca before carrying on his tour to Libya, Egypt, Syria and Jordan.

Saudi ambassador to Morocco, Abdelaziz Mouhieddine Khoja, had told reporters in Rabat on the eve of the visit that the high-level Moroccan-Saudi talks will focus on various issues of common concern and on the situation in the Arab and islamic world, including the Middle East peace process -- in light of the Israeli elections that brought to power the leader of the labor party Ehud Barak -- and the situation in Iraq and Kosovo.