Communications are conducted to open borders with Algeria, says Morocco FM

« Communication canals were set up between Morocco and Algeria to open borders and governmental officials will exchange visits,” said Moroccan foreign minister Taib Fassi Fahri.

• “There are communication canals with Algeria. We are now ready to receive the Algerian government members as there is a common will to exchange visits soon,” Fahri told a Morrocan state-owned channel.
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• Earlier in 2005, Algerian head of government Ahmed Ouyahia’s visit to Morocco was cancelled. Algeria described that step as “anti-brotherhood attitude.”
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• The minister said he was “sorry for keeping borders between Morocco and Algeria closed. That hinders Maghrebin integration which is an essential element in the Union for the Mediterranean.”
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• “It is necessary to open the borders and Morocco was keeping asking for that but Algeria refused that,” he added.
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• The borders were closed after Morocco had accused Algeria of planning an attack on a hotel sheltering foreign tourists in Marrakech. Visa was imposed on Algerian nationals. The accusations were baseless.
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• Algeria considers its borders with Morocco as a danger because of weapons and drug flow to its land. It asks its neighbour to present guarantees to keep watch on borders before talking about opening them. It also asks to let the Western Sahara issue find its way in the UN without involving it in bilateral relations question.
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• The minister said he was “sorry for what happened in Tunisia. If the Maghrebin Union existed, that would not have happened.”