RABAT: King Mohammed VI has called for an easing of bilateral tensions with Algeria, long stoked by the disputed Western Sahara region, official Moroccan media said Sunday.
The king issued the call in a message to congratulate Abdelmajid Tebboune for winning Algeria’s presidential election, which took place on Thursday, MAP news agency said.
“The King also reiterated his previous call to open a new page in relations between the two neighboring countries, based on mutual trust and constructive dialogue,” it said.
The North African neighbors have been at loggerheads for decades over Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony disputed between Morocco and the Polisario Front, an Algeria-backed independence movement.
Morocco fought a war with the Polisario Front from 1975 to 1991, when a cease-fire deal was agreed.
Algeria and Morocco have had frequent diplomatic rows and their land border has been closed since 1994. Heads of state from the two countries have not met since 2005.
The international community has long advocated that a referendum be held to decide the status of Western Sahara.
But Morocco, which annexed the territory after Spain withdrew in 1975 and considers it an integral part of the kingdom, has instead offered autonomy for Western Sahara.
The Polisario Front insists on a UN referendum on independence.
After a long break, a UN-led dialogue between Morocco, the Polisario Front, Algeria and Mauritania resumed in Switzerland in December 2018, followed by a second round in March, but no breakthrough was made.
Morocco seeks to ‘turn page’ on tense ties with Algeria
https://arab.news/n84de
Morocco seeks to ‘turn page’ on tense ties with Algeria
- Morocco's king reiterated previous call to open a new page in relations between the 2 neighboring countries
- King Mohammed VI congratulated Abdelmajid Tebboune for winning Algeria’s presidential election
Putin thanks UAE’s president for Ukraine mediation efforts
- Russian president meets Emirati counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, in Moscow for talks spanning international affairs and bilateral trade
- Another round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine is due to take place in Abu Dhabi on Sunday
LONDON: Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked his counterpart from the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, on Thursday for his mediation efforts on the war in Ukraine.
As Russian and Ukrainian negotiators prepare for another round of peace talks, due to take place in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, the Emirati president met the Russian leader at the Kremlin during an official visit to Moscow.
Putin “expressed his appreciation to the UAE for hosting the trilateral talks involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States,” the Emirates News Agency reported.
Sheikh Mohammed said he was proud to have helped mediate prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine, and the UAE was ready to “assist all constructive efforts” regarding important humanitarian matters.
The leaders also discussed the latest developments in the Middle East. Regarding the conflict between Israel and Palestine, they said there was an “urgent need to intensify efforts to achieve a clear path towards a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution.”
Other topics included ways in which bilateral cooperation might be strengthened in areas such as trade, investment, technology, space and energy.
Russia and the UAE have moved to deepen ties in recent years. They signed two key trade and economic partnership agreements last summer.
