Algerian president: Maghreb Union a reliable, feasible project

The Arab Maghreb Union (UMA) is a reliable and feasible project, said president Abdul Aziz Butaflika of Algeria in an interview published Tuesday by Algerian daily Le Jeune Independant.

The Algerian head of state said this great project is a historical duty that is part of the Maghreban people's deep aspirations to unity, and its economic significance is further enhanced by globalization, making its achievement urgent and unavoidable.

UMA is not only a wish, he said. It is a reliable and feasible project. Maghreban states are aware of this, but they still have to lower the obstacles that impede their progression, Bouteflika said, urging for renouncing emotional approaches and adopt the same rigor used by the European Union, if the Maghreban union is to stand the test of time.