Morocco denies Mideast mediation request

Moroccan secretary of state of posts and new information technology Larbi Ajjoul denied he had received a message from the Israeli side destined for King Mohammed VI.

Ajjoul told the daily Asharq al-Awsat the news circulated was baseless, saying he had never received such a message.

The daily reported Wednesday that the Israeli communication minister had handed Tuesday in Geneva his Moroccan peer a message from Premier Ehud Barak inviting the Moroccan sovereign to conduct a mediation with Syrian President Hafez al-Assad in hopes of rekindling peace talks.

Barak was quoted as saying in his message that mere formalities were standing in the way of the resumption of talks with Damascus and that it would be desirable that all peace advocates act to narrow the gap between viewpoints.