Moroccan, Iranian parties call for moderate Islamic culture, in step with modern times

Morocco's Justice and Development Party (PJD- moderate Islamist party) and Iran's reformer party, Jabhat Moucharakat, stressed the necessity of a "moderate Islamic culture," in step with modern times.

This came at a meeting here between the two parties' leaders, respectively Saadeddine Othmani and Mohamed Reza Khatami, prior to Jabhat Moucharakat's 7th congress, to open in Tehran Wednesday, with the participation, besides PJD, of Morocco's Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), represented by first secretary, Mohamed El Yazghi.

Othmani said his talks with Reza Khatami covered the two countries' political situation and means to consolidate their democratic assets and bilateral cooperation prospects.

Othmani told MAP his party answered Jabhat Moucharakat's invitation to the congress to promote cooperation with this popular reformer party, and also Moroccan-Iranian cooperation, which experienced a positive development thanks to the many visit exchanges and bilateral agreements.

The Iranian party showed "understanding" of Morocco's commitment to its territorial integrity, the PJD chief said, in reference to the Kingdom's Southern provinces known as the Sahara. The separatist movement, backed by Algeria, is claiming sovereignty over this former Spanish colony retrieved by Morocco in 1975 under the Madrid Accords signed with Spain and Mauritania.