Dati envisions 'Maghreb Union'

French MP in the European Parliament and former Minister of Justice of the Moroccan origins Rachida Dati said that the call for normalisation of relations between Morocco and Algeria, is "further evidence of the emergence of a new Maghreb regime, which has been called for by His Majesty King Mohammed VI". Dati added in a statement: "The important statements made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Taieb Fassi Fihri, which call for full normalisation of relations with Algeria in the time Morocco is ready to held a historic electionis proof of the new era that the Maghreb is entering." She praised "joint initiatives" taken by the Foreign Ministries of Algeria and Morocco at the Turkish-Arab cooperation forum held recently in Rabat. Dati said: "Mr. Medelci and Fassi Fihri have shown the spirit of responsibility, through their call to hold a meeting for the Council of Ministers of the Arab Maghreb Union", adding: "this shows to the world their willingness to work together to achieve a common ambitious vision for the future of the region." She said in her statement that "the desired normalisation in relations between Algeria and Morocco is crucial to the success of this step," highlighting that "the firm commitment of both countries, for the public interest of the two peoples, is inevitably a model for the countries of the Arab World." Both Algeria and Morocco called for the need to hold "an urgent meeting of the Arab Maghreb Union", during a bilateral meeting -the first of its kind-  that brought together Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci and his Moroccan counterpart Taieb Fassi Fihri in Rabat last Wednesday. The two ministers also met on Thursday evening in the presence of Abdelkader Messahel, Minister Delegate in charge of Maghreb and African affairs, as well as Algeria's ambassador in Rabat, Ahmed Ben Yamina. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Algeria announced in a statement published by state news agency that "the meeting came to an agreement on the need to hold a (urgent) meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Arab Maghreb Union." She added: "The spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, Ammar Blaney, explained that the two sides also discussed the political reforms, as well as to deepen and strengthen the democratic process in the two countries, and that the two ministers expressed their satisfaction of the importance of exchange of ministerial delegations, to strengthen the fraternal relations between the two countries." About the reforms he began to apply, the Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman said that "the two sides considered the stages that have been made in strengthening the rule of law contributed by a common will, in responding to the legitimate demands of their people, and strengthen stability in their countries and in each region." The meeting is the first of its kind to be held bilaterally since the meeting between the Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and Morocco's King Mohammed VI, in Zeralda, Rabat in March 2005.