King Mohammed VI has renewed Morocco’s attachment to the secular friendship ties and good neighborly relations existing with sisterly Mauritania.
In a telephone conversation with President Mohammed Ould Abdelaziz, the Moroccan sovereign renewed “his unwavering support and friendship, as well as his attachment to the neighborliness and solidarity relation between the two countries, based on the long-standing and family relations which have always existed between the two peoples”, said a statement released by the royal office.
King Mohammed VI also reassured President Mohammed Ould Adelaziz that the North African Kingdom recognizes the territorial integrity of Mauritania in conformity with international law.
During the phone talk, the two Heads of State voiced their determination to preserve this relation against any attempt seeking to undermine it, added statement of the royal office.
The Moroccan monarch made the phone call to the Mauritanian president following the irresponsible remarks by Istiqlal party’s Secretary General, Hamid Chabat, regarding the borders and territorial integrity of Mauritania.
Last weekend, Chabat had said at a meeting that Mauritania is a Moroccan territory and that the historical borders of Morocco stretch from Ceuta to the Senegal River.
These imprudent and unwise remarks have irked both the Moroccan and the Mauritanian political class. In a bid to make things crystal-clear and to avoid any diplomatic row, Head of Moroccan government Abdelilah Benkirane and minister delegate to foreign affairs Nasser Bourita flew to Mauritania “to dispel any misunderstanding”, that could affect the excellent relations between the two neighbors.
The Moroccan Foreign ministry as well as several senior members of the Istiqlal Party have all slammed the “politically incorrect” remarks made by Chabat.
