Tunisian President calls for greater Arab unity in Maghreb

Marzouki: Maghreb nations must adopt unified position on Mali Tunisia’s President, Moncef Marouzki, has called for greater unity between Arab countries in the Maghreb during celebrations of the country's revolution, meanwhile demanding nations “adopt a unified position on the crisis in Mali” to combat the “security challenge facing all countries in the region.”
Marzouki met with Maghreb leaders -- including Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, Speaker of the Algerian National Assembly, Abdelkader Ben Saleh, and Speaker of the Moroccan parliament, Karim Ghellab -- to discuss the implications of the ongoing Malian conflict.
The main focus of Monday’s conference was Tunisian-Mauritanian relations, as President Marzouki and President Aziz stressed the need to form a “joint plan to address challenges posed by the security situation.”
Tunisian and Algerian representatives meanwhile pledged to "continue efforts to revive the project of the Great Arab Maghreb as a strategic imperative, especially in light of the emergence of recent political, security and economic challenges."
The Tunisian President also received the Morocco's Speaker, Karim Ghellab, accompanied by the country’s Foreign Minister, Saad Eddine El Othmani, on Monday evening.
The meeting addressed bilateral relations between the two countries, as well as strengthening economic ties.
"The Moroccan King, Mohammed VI, will lead an official visit to Tunis soon, aiming to significantly enhance relations between the two countries and restore momentum to the project of ??building the Maghreb,” Ghellab announced after talks.
President Marzouki meanwhile discussed Tunisian support for the Palestinian struggle in a meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
“Tunisia pledges its permanent support for Palestine’s legitimate struggle to establish a state with Jerusalem as its capital,” he said.
Speaking exclusively to Arabstoday, the Palestinian Ambassador to Tunisia, Salman Alharfi, said: “President Abbas called for Arab countries to fulfill their promises and obligations towards the Palestinian issue, especially after it was internationally recognised at the United Nations General Assembly in November.”
During a meeting with Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki, Abbas confirmed future elections would be delayed until “the completion of Palestinian reconciliation and unity,” with Fatah and Hamas representatives due to meet in Cairo on Wednesday.
“The Tunisian President’s invitation to Abbas to participate in celebrations of the second anniversary of the revolution confirms the continuous support Tunis has shown to the Palestinian people,” Alharfi added, claiming the Palestinian issue remained a key national issue for the people of Tunisia.