Abdellatif Filali


Abdellatif Filali was a Moroccan politician and diplomat under King Hassan II. Filali was known to have progressive views.

Early life

Filali was born in Beni Mellal, Morocco.

Career

Filali served as the Morocco's ambassador to several significant countries, including Spain, Algeria, the United Kingdom and China. Then he served as Prime Minister of Morocco from 25 May 1994 to 4 February 1998. He also served as foreign minister of Morocco from 1985 to 1999. In addition, he held the minister of state portfolio during his term as prime minister. He initiated TV broadcasts in the Moroccan Berber dialects. Filali was replaced by Abderrahmane Youssoufi as prime minister in 1998.

Personal life

Filali was married to a French woman, Anne Belghmi Zwobada, putative daughter of Jacques Zwobada, with whom he had a daughter, Yasmina, and a son, Fuad Filali; the ex-CEO of Morocco's largest private company ONA Group and the former husband of Lalla Meryem, who is the daughter of late Hassan II and elder sister of Mohammed VI. After retiring politics, Filali permanently settled in his wife's house in France and wrote a reference book about foreign relations of Morocco at the second half of past century.

Death

Filali died on 20 March 2009 in the Paris suburb of Clamart due to a heart failure. He was 81.

Honours