Tangiers hosts commemorating meeting of Maghreban conference
Tunisia, Politics, 4/26/1999

Maghreban officials and political leaders met here over the weekend to commemorate the 41st anniversary of the Maghreban Conference of Tangiers and debate ways to boost the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA).

Addressing the meeting, UMA secretary-general Mohamed Amamou called for giving a new impetus to the union's institutions and its projects, especially the free exchange zone project, the customs union and the common market project.

The Tangiers Conference, held in 1958 by the Moroccan Istiqlal Party, the Algerian National Liberation Front and the Tunisian Neo-destour party, was meant to lay down the foundations of a Maghreban regional union.

Amamou, who voiced hope to see UMA come out of the present deadlock situation, urged member countries to ratify all accords concluded between them.

UMA --set up in 1989 by Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Mauritania-- has been paralyzed due to the Lockerbie issue opposing Libya to the west, and to the Algerian direct involvement in the Moroccan Sahara issue.

Political observers in the region see in the resolution of the Lockerbie issue and the election of a new president in Algeria, positive evolutions that will undoubtedly relaunch the Union's march towards integration.

According to Amamou, the new situation that prevails in Algeria and Libya will help achieve progress in UMA's march.

For Abbas El-Fassi, secretary-general of the Moroccan PI party, the boosting of the Maghreban union goes through the democratization of public life in the UMA member countries.

He added that the relaunching of the union is a necessity to build a joint future and consolidate Maghreban positions in the negotiation process with the neighboring European Union.

Previous Stories:
  Intensive diplomatic move to rescue Maghreb union.   (4/9/1999)
  Arab Maghreb Union, implement for progress and prosperity, Tunisian president says   (3/22/1999)
  Morocco and Tunisia hope Lockerbie issue will be settled   (3/16/1999)

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