“Algeria is now striving to ensure all the conditions for the success of the Arab summit, which will be held in Algiers on the scheduled dates, which coincide with its sixtieth anniversary. This will be the summit of reconciliation, reforms and the restoration of the great Arab house”, said Abdelaziz Belkhadem, Algeria’s top diplomat.
Recalling the position of his country towards the conflict in the Western Sahara, he denied any involvement by his government in this matter, in which the Morocco and the Polisario Front are in conflict, and rejected reports stating that the Algerian army was massing troops on the frontier with Morocco.
How far have preparations gotten for the next Arab summit, which will take place in Algiers?They’re going ahead actively and an ad hoc committee has been set up to take the steps necessary to ensure its success. Contacts have been made with the secretariat-general in Cairo and in Algiers.
Can we expect from this summit results that were not obtained at the Tunis summit, notably in regard to reform of the League?
Facts complement one another, and the positive results obtained in Tunis will be strengthened by others in Algiers, especially since the reforms are desired by all the member states so that a new impetus can be given to the pan-Arab body.
Will the summit deal with the matter of the succession of the League’s secretary-general, a matter that was a source of disagreement at the Tunis summit?
This summit will be placed in the context of the reforms envisaged in order to reactivate the League and renew its structures so that its action may be more effective in the present stage and in the future.
Do you expect the participation of all the Arab kings, presidents and other heads of state in the summit, including the king of Morocco?
I reply to your question in the affirmative, and my reply is based on the fact that the League is the great house of all the Arabs, who have a responsibility to safeguard it, the more so since we are celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of its foundation.
Morocco has again accused Algeria of impeding what it presents as “regional solutions” for the conflict over the Western Sahara and of massing troops on the Moroccan frontier. How do you explain this tension?
In fact, we noted a Moroccan media campaign against Algeria which coincided with the annual meeting of the UN commission for the liquidation of colonialism which was devoted to a discussion of the Western Sahara question, the only region in Africa still awaiting a settlement on the basis of international legality, one recognizing its right to decide its own destiny.
We regret these maneuvers on the part of Morocco and Rabat’s attempt not to conform with the international plan, which gives the Sahrawi people the right to self-determination through a referendum.
Morocco’s comportment in regard to Algeria is unacceptable. And the accusation that our country is massing troops on the frontier has been denied by the Algerian government in order to spare the peoples of the two countries an unjustified anxiety during the month of Ramadan, month of fasting and forgiveness.
In clearer terms, what is the truth about Algero-Moroccan relations?
Their relations must be seen in the context of the fact that they are fraternal and neighbor states linked by historical, religious, social and cultural ties.
Contacts have been made and visits exchanged between officials of the two countries in order to reactivate bilateral cooperation on a sound basis after dealing with unresolved problems. Commissions on economic and consular affairs have met in Rabat and Algiers. We hope to see work continue at the same rhythm. But the about-turn of the Moroccan side has compromised the bilateral discussions.
Spain, France and Morocco have invited Algeria to a four-power summit in order to discuss the conflict over the Western Sahara. What has your position been and has Algeria been under any pressure in this regard?
States with which we are linked by distinctive relationships have invited us to join a four-power summit to discuss the conflict over the Western Sahara. We notified the authors of the initiative that the Polisario Front, being the sole legal representative of the Sahrawi people, is the principal party concerned by this summit. Algeria is therefore not concerned by such summits.
Would you recall clearly the position of Algeria on the matter of the Western Sahara?
We have repeated more than once that this matter concerns the Polisario Front, representative of the Sahrawi people; then Morocco. As for Algeria, it works as an observer to find a solution in the framework of the United Nations, given that it is a question in relation to the liquidation of colonialism. Its stand on this matter has not changed and it will not be influenced by any pressure.
Observers note the absence from the summit of the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU). Does this mean that the AMU has ceased to exist since 1994, or will it be re-launched?
Algeria has accomplished its duty and entirely assumed its role on the level of the presidency of the AMU for nine years, and this during the sixth session of the Council of the AMU presidency in April 1994. Algeria did not hesitate to assume this responsibility despite the difficult circumstances the AMU was passing through.
Based on its unshakeable faith in this strategic project and its wish to continue its construction, Algeria issued invitations to the holding of a seventh session in 2002 and 2003 in order to re-launch the AMU. But because of the calculations of some and the absence of others, the seventh session was postponed and Algeria handed over the presidency to the Libyan Jamahiriya.
What of reports stating that Algeria is undertaking mediation between the Libyan Jamahiriya and Mauritania?
In fact, we have been asked to carry out a mediation between these two fraternal countries, Algeria being the sole country of the region to have common frontiers with all the Maghreb states. And so it is doing what it can to close the ranks of these states and to reduce the breach separating some of them, this being the duty of brotherhood and good neighborliness.
What is your position towards events in the Israeli-occupied territories and how do you envisage a settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict?
The position of Algeria towards the Palestinian cause is constant. It spares no effort to support the Palestinian people and its national leadership in their struggle to recover their legitimate rights, by the liberation of the occupied territories and the creation of an independent state having Jerusalem as its capital, in conformity with resolutions of the United Nations.
In this framework, Algeria has given the Palestinian people help in money and in kind. It has contributed to the Fund for the Intifada of Al-Qods, of Al-Aqsa and to the budget of the Palestinian Authority. After the outbreak of the second Intifada in September of 2000, it established an air bridge to Rafah and Amman to convey assistance to the Palestinian people.
What of the situation in Iraq?
Since the occupation of that fraternal country, the position of Algeria has been clear: it has spoken out against the occupation and demanded that the Iraqi people should have the right to decide their destiny, to choose their government and to preserve their territorial unity. In the same way, it has called for the withdrawal of the occupation forces from Iraqi territory so that the situation stabilizes there, as well as in the region as a whole.
What future do you see for the Arab League following its failure to make the Arab voice heard?
The Arab League has been able to confront and resist all the challenges it has faced since its creation. It is considered the great house of the Arabs, where they all gather to discuss matters that concern them. We act with our brothers to raise it to the desired level, in the face of the regional and international blocs that surround us.
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