Tunisian president in Morocco next March

Tunisian President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali will pay an official visit to Morocco next march, Moroccan minister in charge of relations with the Parliament told reporters Thursday in Rabat.

The visit is part of the regular contacts between the two countries to give new momentum to the Maghreb Arab Union (UMA), said the Moroccan minister at a news conference held in Rabat after the weekly government's council meeting.

Morocco, he said, will spare no effort to push forward the Maghreban unity process and reinforce the union to make it a strong body capable of standing up to the challenges of other regional groupings, such as the European Union.

In an exchange of letters on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Arab Maghreb Union celebrated last Wednesday, both King Hassan II and President Bin Ali renewed attachment to the UMA. They also voiced optimism over the union's future and over its capacities to meet the Maghreban peoples aspirations.

The UMA is formed of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Mauritania.

The Union, meant to enhance economic complementarity between the five Maghreban countries, is paralyzed due to strained relations between Morocco and Algeria over Algiers' direct involvement in the Sahara issue and to Libya's criticism of the attitude adopted by the other UMA members in the Lockerbie crisis opposing Tripoli to western countries.