King Hassan in France next week

King Hassan II will pay an official visit to France this July 12-15 at the invitation of President Jacques Chirac.

The king will be France's guest of honor at the traditional parade of July 14, marking France's National Day.

President Chirac described King Hassan II's official visit to France for the National Day a source of honor and joy and pointed out that the king's presence at this patriotic ceremony translates in a symbolic and prestigious way the exceptionally confident and dense ties uniting the two countries.

President Chirac, who made the statement in a message of congratulations to King Hassan II on the occasion of the king's 70th birthday, voiced satisfaction over Moroccan-French relations that he described as "excellent" and underlined the constant importance the two countries' leaders grant to their consolidation.