"For the moment, there is no prospect to normalize relations between Morocco and Algeria," the minister said at a meeting of the Foreign Affairs, Borders, Occupied Territories and National Defense Commission in the House of Advisors, on the Moroccan-Algerian relations, the Sahara issue developments and the situation in the Middle East.
In this respect, Mr. Fassi Fihri deplored that Algeria did not respond to Morocco’s call for reopening land borders and normalizing bilateral relations.
On March 20, Morocco called for a "normalization of relations with Algeria, and for the opening of the borders between the two countries," closed since 1994, but Algeria rebuffed Morocco’s call and stressed, through its Foreign ministry, that this “is not envisaged,” and that it should be carried out as part of the developments sought by the two parties.
M. Fassi Fihri also noted contradictions in Algeria’s position. While claiming to support the process of building the Arab Maghreb Union and the promotion of trade and free movement between the region countries, Algeria rejects all Moroccan initiatives to open the borders, he said.
As for the territorial integrity issue following the fourth round of the UN-led talks on the Sahara, the minister said that this issue is now at a critical moment that requires both the management of the negotiations process and vigilance to cope with the desperate attempts aiming to harm the territorial integrity of the Kingdom.
He recalled the great support enjoyed by the autonomy proposal, presented last year by Morocco in a bid to put an end to the 32-year-old conflict between the north African country and the Algerian-backed separatists of Polisario who lay claims to Morocco’s southern provinces (The Sahara). Morocco retrieved the former Spanish colony in 1975 under the Madrid Accords with Spain and Mauritania.
The Minister reiterated Morocco’s resolve to continue its full cooperation with the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy, as part of the legal framework of the negotiations process and in line with the foundations of the kingdom’s sovereignty.
News and events concerning Western Sahara issue / Corcas