Named by late king Hassan II to head the North African country's government in May 1994, Filali at the same time kept his posts as minister of state and of foreign affairs and cooperation.

He was replaced as government chief by Abderrahmane El Youssoufi in 1998 but kept control of the foreign ministry and remained a prominent political figure in the kingdom.

During his political career, Filali also served as ambassador to several key countries, notably Madrid, Morocco's neighbor Algiers, London and Beijing.(AFP)