Readout of the Secretary-General's meeting with Tahib El Fassi Fihri, Foreign Minister of Morocco

The Secretary-General met today with Tahib El Fassi Fihri, Foreign Minister of Morocco. The Secretary-General informed the Minister of his trip to Madrid, Paris, Cairo and Tunis. The Secretary-General and the Minister also discussed the conflict in Libya and the situation in Yemen and Bahrain. The Secretary-General informed the Minister that he had followed the speech to the nation given by his Majesty, King Mohammed VI, on 9 March and expressed his hope that this reform project will contribute to answering the legitimate aspirations of all Moroccans and to creating a dynamic of stability in the region. On Western Sahara, he told the Minister that he was encouraged by the last informal meeting that took place from 7 to 9 March 2011 and the willingness of the parties to pursue the examination of innovative approaches of negotiation. The Secretary-General commended Morocco for its willingness to support the technical mission of 11 April aiming at advancing the construction of the road for the facilitation of family visits by land.