Maher: Partnership initiative responds to our observations; Libya separates the Maghreb people from the Arab world
Egypt-Regional, Politics, 6/14/2004

The Libyan Presidency of the Arab Maghreb federation yesterday considered itself not obliged to abide by the partnership initiative approved by the G-8 summit in the USA last week on reforms and democracy in the Arab world by announcing that there is " no relations between the Arab Maghreb " and what is known the " Middle East region," at a time when the Egyptian foreign minister Ahmed Maher considered that the initiative " responded to many of the Egyptian observations."

A statement issued by the Libyan Presidency said that the " Arab Maghreb has no relation to what is called the Middle East region which is meant only countries situated in the Asian continent." The statement added " the countries of the Arab Maghreb federation are an integral part of Africa which is a complete continent including all its own states in one united entity that can not be partitioned, divided or annexed to any other continent."

The statement considered that the " attempt to chop part of Africa and annex it to another continent in order to abrogate its African identity and campaign for separatist classification inside the continent are all attempts rejected by the African federation in several occasion especially after the foundation of the great African federation, completion of its establishments." Since December 2003, Libya is assuming the presidency of the Arab Magreb federation which also includes Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia amd Mauritania and was established in 1989.

On the other hand, Maher said that " this statement responded to several observations placed by Egypt, especially in connection to the principle of reform should stem from inside the countries concerned, and this reform to take into account the condition of each and every state, but with welcoming any aid that can be provided by other countries to achieving the reforms." Maher asserted that "Egypt started the process of reforms and achieved numerous positive results at the political and economic fields, alike."

Previous Stories:
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