Bouteflika calls for activating Arab Maghreb Union

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika yesterday called for the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) to come into effect as it is needed in light of the current challenges and critical situation in the region, the Anadolu Agency reported.

Bouteflika’s call came in two letters sent to the Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi and the Moroccan King Mohamed VI, on the 27th anniversary of the announcement of the establishment of the union.

“On the occasion of the celebration of the 27th anniversary of the establishment of the AMU, I am pleased to extend to you, on behalf of the Algerian people, the government and in my name, our warmest congratulations and best wishes,” he said.

“This project is a milestone and remains the appropriate framework for integration and fruitful cooperation,” he said, noting this would be accomplished through the accelerated development of the union’s institutions and the revision of its action plan.

He said this had to be “following a comprehensive and well-studied approach and in a spirit of solidarity and optimism that marked the Marrakech Summit.”

Bouteflika added: “We remain fully convinced that the completion of the construction of the Maghreb Union represents an absolute necessity in this particular situation where our region faces threats and unprecedented challenges that must be addressed through collective action and a common and coordinated strategy.”

The AMU was established on 17 February 1989 in Marrakesh and consisted of five states: Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Mauritania.

However, the Union has not come into effect because of the ongoing Algerian-Moroccan dispute over Western Sahara.