Moroccan premier pleads for friendly settlement to Sebta and Melillia issue

The Moroccan premier pleaded for a friendly settlement to the issue of Sebta and Melillia, two Moroccan northern cities still under Spanish rule.

Abderrahmane Youssoufi called for dialogue between Morocco and Spain to reach "a solution preserving the interests of Spain and of the inhabitants of the two cities and the sovereignty of Morocco."

Youssoufi made the call at a joint press conference held Thursday with Spanish peer Jose Maria Aznar at the end of the 5th meeting of the Moroccan-Spanish high joint commission.

He said the proposal made by King Hassan II to set a reflection group that will ponder on the future of the two occupied cities is "still valid" and constitutes a sound procedure so that this bilateral dispute be examined in a friendly frame.

The Moroccan premier mentioned as an instance the move adopted by China and Great Britain in settling their territorial dispute over Hong Kong.

Touching on the issue, Aznar restricted himself to saying that Morocco knows Spain's stand on Sebta and Melillia.