Morocco refuses to receive Sarkozy because of “betrayal” of Western Sahara issue
Ech-Chorouk, July 06 , 2007
France’s newly-elected President Nicolas Sarkozy has cancelled a visit expected to be paid to Morocco on July 11 because of scheduling problems, according to David Martinon, the Elysee spokesman.
Subsequently, Moroccan authorities have transmitted to the French president their conviction that Sarkozy’s new policy is a “betrayal” of former French presidents’ tendency which reflected their attachment to ensure Morocco’s sovereignty on the Western Sahara.
According to Moroccan sources, “Morocco wished French President paid a long unique visit to Morocco.”
French newly-elected President’s visit to Morocco was cancelled because Moroccan authorities did not like the fact that Algeria was scheduled to be the first visited country in Sarkozy’s three-nation tour of North Africa, said non-official Moroccan sources.
The other reason is that the Western Sahara issue was not included in the visit as it was usually done with former French Presidents who visited Morocco, said the same sources.
Accompanied with French Foreign Affairs Minister, Bernard Kouchner, Nicolas Sarkozy will pay a three-day visit to Algeria. He will hold talks with Algeria’s President Abdelaziz Bouteflika on the « Mediterranean Union” project that would include France, Spain, Greece, Italy and then, Turkey, Israel, Lebanon and Syria.
Sarkozy is expected to organize a press conference on the last day of his visit to Algeria after a working lunch with Mr. Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
Algeria’s President Mr. Abdelaziz Bouteflika received on May 22 a letter from the French President Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy to thank him for his congratulations message.
“I am convinced, as you are by the deep relationship existing between Algeria and France. This relationship has to constitute a common priority as it meets our two peoples’ expectations”, said the letter.
“I hope to build a union with the Mediterranean countries in order to take up together the common challenges”, said the French President’s letter.
In the congratulations letter sent by Algerian President Mr. Abdelaziz Bouteflika to his French counterpart following the latter’s election victory, Mr. Bouteflika said he could rely on Mr. Sarkozy to jointly boost the bilateral relations between Algeria and France in accordance with the ambitions and aspirations of both nations.
As France’s minister of home affairs, Nicolas Sarkozy paid a visit to Algeria in November 2006. This visit postponed the signature of the friendship treaty between Algeria and France within political commitments from both sides about this issue.
The friendship treaty was supposed to be signed before the end of 2005 as Sarkozy tried during his previous visit to avoid dealing with conflict issues between both countries especially Algeria’s demand for France to give an official apology for the law of February 23rd , 2005 that glorifies the “positive role” of the French colonies in Algeria.
