Morocco hopes new Algerian cabinet would change stand on bilateral relations

Morocco hopes that the new Algerian cabinet would change its stand regarding Algeria's relations with the kingdom.

"We hope that the Algerian stand would change for the interest of relations between the two countries," said a Moroccan official at the end of the weekly cabinet meeting held on Tuesday under the chairmanship of prime minister Abderrahmane Youssoufi.

Minister in charge of relations with the Parliament, Mohamed Bouzoubaa, said however "all signs show that the issue is much more deeper than a change of persons" in the Algerian cabinet.

Ismail Hamdani was appointed on Tuesday as Algeria's new prime minister in replacement of resigning Ahmed Ouyahya.

Bouzoubaa recalled the repeated calls launched by the Moroccan premier on Algeria to reopen land borders, closed since 1994, and the calls to cancel the visa requirement for the two countries' nationals.

Relations between the two Maghreban countries strained due to Algeria's direct involvement in the Sahara issue and after Algerian-born French nationals perpetrated in 1994 a terrorist attack against a hotel in Marrakesh (Southern Morocco), killing two Spanish tourists.

Subsequently, Morocco imposed entry visas for Algerians wishing to visit the Kingdom, while Algeria retaliated by closing land borders with Morocco.

The Moroccan socialist premier, Abderrahmane Youssoufi, has launched repeated calls on Algeria to start a new page with Morocco through the opening of the borders and the suppression of visa requirements.

Algeria responded to Morocco's call by the necessity to address bilateral relations in a "global approach."

"It is necessary to gather the required conditions to overcome the problems, which are artificial, between the two countries," Bouzoubaa said adding that the Moroccan government hopes that the new algerian premier would show understanding for this determination that reflects the aspirations of the Moroccan and Algerian peoples.

The two countries'interests start by the settlement of pending issues and the Sahara issue is at the core of the problems between Morocco and Algeria, Bouzoubaa said.