Morocco, Tunisia call for a new start of Maghreb union
Tunisia-Morocco, Politics, 5/25/2000

Tunisia and Morocco on Wednesday called for a new start of the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA), set up in 1989 by Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia.

"The countries of the Arab Maghreb Union are invited, today more than ever before, to work together in an atmosphere of mutual respect with a view to overcome obstacles and give the Union a new start," King Mohammed VI said at an exchange of speeches during a dinner banquet offered in his honor by President Ben Ali.

The king stressed the need to reactivate the union in order "to enable it take up the challenges of globalization that no country can face individually, whatever the efforts."

Besides the reactivation of the UMA mechanisms, the king called for a sound strategy serving the shared interests of Maghreban peoples.

In the same vein, the Tunisian president said his country has spared no effort to boost the Maghreban Union and reactivate its institutions.

He underlined that the changes sweeping across Maghreban societies "are likely to consolidate our integration process." The recent positive developments in the region "will contribute to lowering the obstacles that hamper UMA's march," he said.

After ten years of life, UMA has been unable to take off as a full-fledged regional grouping due to divergences among its member countries.

President Ben Ali said he was hopeful to see efforts in all the states of the Maghreb combined "to reactivate the union so that the Arab Maghreb holds the place it deserves as a distinct geopolitical and economic space, in its Mediterranean, African and international environment."

In their respective speeches, the two Maghreban leaders expressed satisfaction over the progress made in the Lockerbie affair thanks to the Libyan leadership wisdom in dealing with the issue and called for an end to the sanctions on Tripoli.

Mohammed VI renewed Morocco's support to Libya, calling for a rapid lifting of the sanctions imposed on the Maghreban country so that Tripoli, he said, resumes its role in its Maghreban and Arab environment.

The same called was launched by the Tunisian President so that "the factors of success may be optimized for the forward-looking progression of our region."

Previous Stories:
  King Mohammed starts three-day visit to Tunisia   (5/24/2000)
  King Mohammed to pay official visit to Tunisia   (5/22/2000)
  Moroccan king hails Tunisia's efforts to build up the Maghreb   (3/21/2000)

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