Morocco to boycott all meeting of chairwoman of the EU parliament's delegation

Morocco has decided to boycott all meetings chaired by Mireille El Malan, chairwoman of the European parliament's delegation in charge of relations with the Maghreb and the Arab Maghreb Union.

According to Morocco's embassy in Brussels, the decision is due to the meeting held on December 1 by the delegation, during which the chairwoman of the delegation invited two members of the "Polisario" to discuss the Sahara issue.

Only one member of the European parliament attended the meeting which was later joined by another MP, MC Gowann, known for his anti-Moroccan positions, the embassy said.

The statement regrets this biased initiative that contradicts the duty of neutrality and objectivity that El Malan should observe in her capacity as chairwoman of the delegation in charge of the Maghreb.

Several members and political groups of the European parliament refused to take part in this meeting and denounced this biased attitude.

Jean Claude Pasty chairman of a group at the parliament sent a protest letter to El Malan in the name of his group "Union for Europe." He deplores and regrets, in his letter, this invitation that risks to harm a situation poised to be settled, without offering the opportunity for a real debate.20

Several members of the European parliament refused to take part in this meeting, announced at the last minute and meant to coincide with the present trip in the region of UN secretary general Kofi Annan to unfreeze the settlement process.