Detente environment should prevail in Moroccan-Algerian relations, ministry
Morocco-Algeria, Politics, 11/4/2004

A detente environment should prevail in any relation between Morocco and Algeria both belonging to the same regional groupings and are bound to build a common future through fruitful consultation and not useless confrontation, said On Wednesday a communique of the Moroccan foreign ministry.

The communique was released in the morrow of a meeting held in New York between Moroccan permanent representative to the UNO, Mohamed Bennouna, and Algerian peer, Abdallah Baali.

By this friendly move by Bennouna to meet Baali, said the communique, the Moroccan envoy to the UNO heartily and sincerely voiced his desire for things to go back to normal and serenity between the Moroccan and Algerian delegations after the controversies and tensions these last weeks within the UNO.

In the wake of a vote last October of an Algerian draft resolution on the Sahara issue by the UN fourth committee of the General Assembly, Morocco argued that Algeria refuses and hinders any political settlement to the Moroccan Sahara issue. Morocco also argued that Algeria shuts out all efforts aiming at resolving the Sahara issue - opposing Morocco and the Algeria-backed Polisario movement that claims the separation of the Moroccan Southern provinces - as well as efforts to build the Arab Maghreb Union (mustering Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya).

Late last September, Morocco addressed a memorandum to UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, to clarify the Moroccan position on manoeuvres targeting the Kingdom and tension escalation in the region.

In the memo, Morocco criticized Algeria's campaign to dispute the Kingdom's sovereignty over the Sahara. It stressed that Algeria's involvement in the dispute included military engagement, financial and logistic support and diplomatic backing to Polisario separatists.

Previous Stories:
  King wishes common future for Maghreb in congratulations message to Algerian President   (11/2/2004)
  Morocco ready for negotiations on 'viable, appropriate autonomy' for Sahara, official   (10/30/2004)
  Morocco 'firm and unshakable' in defending its territorial integrity, minister   (10/29/2004)

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