Moroccan Foreign Minister Muhammad Benaissa told visiting Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom in Casablanca Monday that Morocco wants to play a role in the Mideast diplomatic process, and feels it can play a "special role," as it has in the past.

Shalom arrived for a two day visit, the first by an Israeli foreign minister since just before the outbreak of violence in September 2003 [sic?]. He is slated to meet Moroccan King Mohammed VI on Tuesday.

Shalom, who hopes that the visit will lead to a re-establishment of diplomatic ties with Morocco, severed in October 2000, said he hopes this visit will also lead other Arab countries to renew their ties with Israel...

The Moroccan government, Shalom said, "now understands the step they took in October 2000 was too hasty, and at the end of the day was not to its benefit."

In addition to discussing the issue of re-establishing ties and the situation with the Palestinians, Morocco is expected to ask Israel to lift its travel warning issued earlier this year after the terror attack in Casablanca advising Israelis not to visit the country.

According to one diplomatic official, Morocco is keen on getting back Israeli and Jewish tourists who during the late 1990's traveled to Morocco by the "tens of thousands."