Tripoli criticizes U.S. call for partnership with North African countries

Libya announced on Thursday that the U.S. idea of establishing an economic partnership with three North African countries, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia, is aimed at creating a dispute within the Arab Maghreb Union, to which they belong.

Libyan diplomatic sources said that the suggestion presented by the assistant U.S. secretary of state for economic affairs, Stuart Eizenstat, is aimed at frustrating Arab efforts to enhance the unity of the North African countries, confirm its identity and play its role.

The Libyan sources added that cooperation with North African countries has to be by its parts without imposing any previous conditions aimed at excluding any country, with an obvious attempt to confirm the policy of economic sanctions against Libya.