Moroccan Parties Ask Their Government About The Maghreb Union Activation

Moroccan parties asked the government of their country about the “Maghreb Union”, one day after Algeria called for a meeting of Arab Maghreb Union’s Foreign Ministers to discuss the reactivation of the regional bloc.

In a statement that was issued by the Foreign Ministry on Thursday, Algeria called for a meeting of foreign ministers of the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), as soon as possible, to discuss the re-establishment of the regional bloc.

The parliamentary blocs of the majority parties in the Moroccan House of Representatives (the first chamber of parliament), the parties of authenticity and contemporaneity and independence (opposition) have asked the government about the “Maghreb Union”, according to the program of oral questions, that was issued by the House of Representatives on Friday.

Morocco Prime Minister, Saad Eddin al-Othmani, is expected to answer the questions of the parties during a planned session on Monday, as the initiative comes days after King Mohammed VI called on Algeria to open a direct dialogue to overcome the differences between the two countries, without receiving an explicit response by Morocco.

The Algerian call for a meeting of foreign ministers of the Arab Maghreb Union (the last meeting was held in 1994 in Tunisia) was commended, and the League of Arab States, the African and the European Unions welcomed Algeria initiative.

“Secretary-General Ahmed Abul-Gheit paid the price of the Algiers Declaration on Thursday, to send an official request to the Secretary-General of the Arab Maghreb Union to organize the meeting of the Council of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Union as soon as possible”, the Ambassador, Mahmoud Afifi, spokesman for the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, said.

“This step is an indication of the importance that Algeria attaches to reactivating the Arab Maghreb Union and the regular return of the meetings of the Union’s bodies”, Afifi added.

“This step is an indication of the importance that Algeria attaches to reactivating the Arab Maghreb Union and the regular return of the meetings of the Union’s bodies”, spokesmen for the European Union said.

“Any constructive initiative that will contribute to good cooperation in the Maghreb region is generally welcomed”.

For his part, Moussa Faki, Chairman of the African Union’s Commission, said that he “registered with satisfaction” the Algerian initiative, as stated in a statement that was published by the continental organization.

“I encourage all member states of the Maghreb Union to work towards the convening of this meeting soon in order to reactive the Maghreb Union”.

Algeria’s initiative reflects the call for the convening of a meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Maghreb Union as soon as possible, reaffirming its commitment to this edifice and its conviction of the importance of Maghreb integration in all its dimensions.

Algeria has always expressed its full confidence in the weight that the Arab Maghreb Union can represent in the balance of power, both regionally and internationally, as reflected by its ratification of 29 sectors’ agreements out of a total of 36 agreements that were concluded since its establishment in 1989, alongside with Morocco (8 agreements), Tunisia, Mauritania (28) and Libya (35 conventions).

In this context, and in a step that stems from a firm belief that was expressed more than once and on more than one occasion, there is the need to strive for the advancement of this Maghreb Organization, revitalize its structures and give impetus to the joint work of its five constituencies.