RABAT, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Secretary of State Condaleezza Rice has wrapped up her visit to Morocco, the last leg of her four-nation tour in North Africa, the state MAP news agency reported on Sunday.

    Relations between Morocco and the United States were hailed as excellent by the Moroccan foreign ministry, MAP said, noting that Rice and her Moroccan counterpart Taieb Fassi Fihri raised the reforms introduced in Morocco and supported by the U.S. administration.

    Rice also praised business and security ties between the two nations, the report said.

    Rice, who was received by Fihri upon her arrival in Rabat airport, discussed with Moroccan Premier Abbas El Fassi on the latest developments over the issue of Western Sahara, a disputed territory over which Morocco claims sovereignty.

    Talks also touched on Morocco's reforms in the field of human rights and the upcoming local elections due in 2009.

    Discussions between the two sides also covered the threat of terrorism.

    Morocco is the closest north African partner of the U.S. in the war on terror and in fighting against Islamist extremism. The north African country said it has disbanded about 60 terror cells since it was targeted by terrorists in 2003. Press reports and rights associations also say over a thousand extremists have jailed ever since in the north African kingdom.

    Economic ties between the two nations have flourished since the Free Trade Agreement went into effect in early 2006.

    The agreement, which covers a wide range of products, was instrumental in hoisting the bilateral trade volume that grew to 2.3 billion U.S. dollars in 2007, up from 1.4 billion a year earlier.

    Though the agreement particularly benefits U.S. manufacturers and farmers, Morocco's exports to the United States edged 30 percent since it was implemented.

    Rice is due to leave for home later on Sunday after the North Africa tour, including Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco.