By Nevine Khalil MOROCCO's King Hassan II concludes today a three-day visit to Cairo which included talks with President Hosni Mubarak on promoting bilateral relations and coordinating Arab positions in the stalled Middle East peace process, reports Nevine Khalil. Mubarak and the monarch also chaired the Supreme Joint Egyptian-Moroccan Committee and witnessed the signing of four out of 14 bilateral agreements and protocols. The visit came at a time when the peace process is at an unprecedented low. The deadlock prompted Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to issue an urgent call for an Arab summit. "The possibility of holding an Arab summit, among other things, is an idea that is still under discussion," said Foreign Minister Amr Moussa after yesterday's talks. "I cannot give precise information at the present time." Moussa told reporters that "hope for [reviving] the peace process has diminished because of Israeli policies." King Hassan chairs the Jerusalem Committee of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), and Morocco has for years maintained open channels and low-key relations with Tel Aviv, embodied in bilateral trade ties since 1995. "The visit is an important step towards a concerted Arab plan of action," said Esmat Abdel-Meguid, secretary-general of the Arab League. Prime Minister Kamal El-Ganzouri said the visit came at a "critical point for the peace process which is going through a dangerous and threatening bend". According to Moroccan Minister of Information Mohamed Al-Arabi Al-Masri, the talks will result in "important decisions regarding the peace process and the initiatives currently under discussion." The signed bilateral documents between Egypt and Morocco enhance cooperation in the fields of trade, finance, labour, culture and communications. A joint businessmen's council and a holding company, with a capital of $100 million, were established to increase investments. A free trade agreement was signed to boost trade which currently stands at $35 million annually. The signing of a protocol on cooperation in the field of combating crime was postponed to a later date. The Joint Committee was established in March 1997 and held its first meeting in the Moroccan capital, Rabat, two months later.
