Libya’s return to the international arena and its elimination of terrorism will give a boost to the Maghreb Union, which is among the goals of the new Algeria, the Communication Minister and the government’s official spokesman, Ammar Belhimer, said in an interview with the Russian News Agency “Sputnik”.
“Libya’s return to the international arena and rid it of the scourge of terrorism will give a legitimate impetus to the Maghreb Union, which is among the ruled goals for building a new Algeria under the leadership of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune”.
“The Libyan issue concerns the Libyans alone, and the security of the Libyans is the security of Algeria, and all the efforts that bring Libyans together at one table, unite their ranks and preserve their territorial integrity. Algeria blesses and supports it”.
Regarding Algeria’s position on the King Mohammed VI initiative on resolving differences between the two countries and the possibility of real bilateral rapprochement, the minister replied that Algeria “welcomes any initiative that aimed at building and reuniting, by adopting the method of dialogue and legitimate methods in full transparency, while respecting the privacy and sovereignty of each country, without prejudice to the basic principles of Algerian diplomacy based on non-interference in the internal affairs of any country”.
Belhimer was keen to remind that “Morocco is a neighbour and brother country which has a deep historical and civilizational relationships with Algeria”.
“The two countries have a common goal by reaching the building of a unified Maghreb edifice by providing all the conditions as long as the political will of the leaders of the two countries is present and our destiny is common in light of the current challenges, especially what the world is going through due to the implications of the health crisis”.
“Algeria does not pay any attention to any attempt to disturb the atmosphere between the brotherly Moroccan and Algerian peoples, considering that the supreme goal is to mobilize energies and stimulate energy to build a strong Maghreb Union in which we protect our interests and defend our unity”.
“This endeavour is taking place in full respect of international conventions and the decisions of the international community to protect peoples and give them their right to self-determination, as is the case for the Western Sahara issue”.
Concerning the Algerian-Tunisian coordination on Libya, the government spokesman mentioned Algeria’s rejection of any external or military intervention that undermines all political efforts to restore Libya to the Libyans, explaining that the coordination that is taking place with Tunisia aims to block the entry points in front of terrorist groups that are trying to strike the stability of the region.
As for the fact that there is coordination between Algeria and Turkey regarding Libya, Belhimer mentioned that Turkey is, above all, a partner country for Algeria, especially in economic terms, with which it has strong relationships that have their roots in history, explaining that Algeria “always seeks to search for a solution to the crisis, in consultation with all countries that can present proposals in the positive direction to extricate Libya from the bleeding of war and fighting that it is experiencing”.
Regarding the ongoing conflict in the Mediterranean and the possibility that Algeria would allow its lands to be used for the benefit of foreign parties, the minister affirmed that Algeria, based on the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of states, rejects any form of attempts to undermine national sovereignty and use the logic of force in the region under any pretext”.
“Algeria does not want to be a party to a war based on interests, hiding behind it the ambitions to separate the countries of the region under the guise of fighting terrorism, or tracking the effects of armed groups”.
Regarding the phenomenon of the growth of terrorist groups in the Sahel and Sahara, and the extent of their danger to the national security of Algeria, Belhimer confirmed that Algeria was the first country to face terrorism in the 1990s, which made it have extensive experience in combating this phenomenon that transcends countries and continents, in addition to the fieldwork of its various security services, and diplomatic efforts to contain this scourge across the world.
Regarding the reality of bilateral relationships with Russia, Belhimer explained that they are very distinguished relationships that have always been characterized by cooperation and that they are friendly, fraternal and strategic”.
Concerning the Palestinian issue, the minister mentioned again that it is one of the “constants of the foreign policy of Algeria” and that “Algeria, people and a government, supports Palestine, whether it is unjust or oppressed”.
“We support every position or initiative that serves the Palestinian authority, protects its land and rights, and renew our commitment to defend the Palestinian cause in all situations and occasions.”
Echourouk Online, Aug 26, 2020
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