Arabs spoke as a single voice in Marseilles, Benaissa says

Morocco's Foreign affairs and cooperation minister Mohamed Benaissa voiced satisfaction saying that Arab delegations worked in a group and spoke as a single voice to their European partners during the Euro-Med conference held in Marseilles, southern France.

The minister underscored Thursday "very positive" Arab participation to the 4th Euro-Mediterranean Conference and the necessity to include the Al Quds issue in the Middle-East peace process because it is also the concern of all Moslems and Christians worldwide.

Benaissa said Arab delegations invited Europeans to a more objective stand towards Israel in keeping with human rights and international law principles and called for the process-restructuring arguing time is not playing in favor of peace.

Of the Marseilles conference, he said it was a real turning-point in cooperation between EU members and non-members bordering the Mediterranean sea and the opportunity to spell out the southern bank concerns, needs and realities and voiced hope proposals will get the follow-up they deserve.

A series of meeting in 2001 will be fine-tuning a Moroccan draft Peace and Stability Charter handed in during the Marseilles conference and which will be examined by the 2002 Conference.

Before leaving Marseilles Thursday afternoon, the minister attended a meeting of the European Troika with the four countries linked to the EU by free-trade agreements: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan.

Benaissa also conferred, in side-meetings, with several heads of Arab and European delegations.