Tunisia upbeat on promising future of Maghreb

President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia said his country aspires with optimism to a promising future of the Arab Maghreb region.

"Tunisia, which is convinced of the shared destiny and which spared no effort to consolidate its relations with the Kingdom of Morocco and with the other brethern in our Maghreban region, aspires with optimism to a promising future for our Arab Maghreb, a future marked by solidarity, complementarity and confidence in our ability to take up the challenges of the third mellineum and contribute to establishing peace and stability in our mediterranean region and in the world," stated the Tunisian head of state in a message of congratulations to King Hassan II on the occasion of his 70th birthday.

President Ben Ali also hailed the interest both countries grant to consolidate their excellent relations and to upgrade their cooperation, describing as "successfull" the official visit he paid to Morocco last March.