Moroccan King affirms desire for stronger ties with Tunisia

Visiting Moroccan King Mohammad VI on Saturday affirmed his keenness on establishing fruitful cooperation with Tunisia as a prelude to reaching level of a partnership.
The Moroccan Monarch, addressing the National Constituent Assembly (NCA) as part of his current visit to the nation, said he is aspiring to set up "a great and robust Arab Maghreb," noting that the mutual cooperation between Morocco and Tunisia constitutes basis for such an approach.
King Mohammad VI regretted failure to establish the long-aspired "Maghreb union," adding that this failure hampered efforts to achieve optimum utilization of regional potentials and branding as a "mistake" the belief that each country in the region can resolve major issues related to development, scientific progress, security and stability.
Morocco, years ago, called for drafting "a charter for Maghreb action," he said, affirming his aspiration to see birth of a regional union of these countries to enhance progress.
He praised the Tunisian assembly which "represents new Tunisia," and hailed the local parties in their quest to ensure "success of the democratic march on basis of consensus, as well as for sake of adopting a constitution and building a state of institutions and establishing social justice." The Constituent Assembly of Tunisia, or National Constituent Assembly (NCA), is the body in charge of devising a new Tunisian constitution for the era after fall of president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his Constitutional Democratic Rally (RCD) regime. Convoked after the election on 23 October 2011, the convention consists of 217 lawmakers representing Tunisians living both in the country and abroad.
Mustapha Ben Jaafar, the assembly chairman, called during the session for boosting ties between the two countries and renewed the call for holding a meeting of the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) in Tunisia in October.
The AMU is a trade agreement aiming for an economic and future political unity among Arab countries of the Maghreb in North Africa. Its members are Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia.
Earlier today, the King received Tunisian Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa, discussing means of enhancing mutual cooperation between the two countries, according to an official statement.
On Friday, the two countries signed 23 cooperation accords and memos of understanding and programs in various spheres. The accords were signed at a formal ceremony, held at the presidential palace in Carthage. It was attended by Tunisian Interim President Moncef Marzouki and the visiting Monarch.
The Moroccan King Mohammad VI started his visit to Tunisia early on Friday