Rabat – Amid political tensions between Rabat and Algiers that have lasted for more than a year, Algerian Minister of Justice Abderrachid Tebbi participated in the 70th session of the Executive Board of the Council of Arab Ministers of Justice, held October 19 in Ifrane, ending a 14-month stand-off.
The two-day meeting, held at the invitation of the Secretary General of the League of Arab States, comes to discuss great challenges facing the Arab region in the fight against organized crime and terrorism.
It also examines ways to strengthen Arab and international cooperation mechanisms in the legal and judicial fields.
During the meeting, Tebbi greeted his Moroccan counterpart Abdellatif Ouahbi and thanked Morocco for the welcome extended to his delegation.
When Algeria severed diplomatic ties with Morocco on August 24 last year, Algerian officials, civilians, and military opted to not attend regional and international meetings held in the kingdom.
The decision came after Algerian Foreign Affairs Minister Ramatane Lamamra accused Rabat of financing “terrorist organizations” to harm his country.
The Algerian regime also blamed Morocco for wildfires sparked by high temperatures in the region last year.
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Morocco denied the accusations and expressed its regret over Algeria’s reaction, stating that it will always be a credible partner for its neighbor.
On September 27, the Algerian minister traveled to Rabat to extend an invitation from Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to King Mohammed VI to attend the next Arab Summit, scheduled for November 1-2 in Algiers.
Under the King’s instruction, the Algerian minister was received by Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita.
Last week, Jeune Afrique confirmed, for the second time, that Morocco’s King Mohammed VI is expected to attend the Arab League Summit, citing “well-informed” Algerian diplomatic sources.
The self-described pan-African outlet added that the monarch would be accompanied by his son, Crown Prince Moulay Hassan in November’s summit.
According to King Mohammed VI, the closure of borders separating Moroccans and Algerians will “never be barriers preventing their interaction and understanding.”
