El Khalij: UMA construction requires respect of member states kingty, minister

The construction of the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA) requires the enhancement of democracy and the total respect of the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of all member states, Moroccan communication minister and government spokesman has said.

In an interview published Sunday in the UAE newspaper "El Khalij," the Moroccan official noted that all important economic and political groupings are based on the respect of the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states, alluding to Algeria's backing to the Polisario secessionist group that is claiming the independence of the Sahara, a former Spanish colony retrieved by Morocco in 1975 under an agreement signed with Madrid and Nouakchott.

Citing the example of the European Union, Benabdellah said, "it is unconceivable that Germany challenges France's sovereignty over the Alsace and Lorraine," insisting that lessons should be drawn from such examples.

The minister added that the construction of UMA is the best answer to the challenges related to economic, political, cultural relations with Europe and other international groupings, underlining that the UMA project is a "historical" and "legitimate" aspiration of Maghreb peoples.