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Morocco ready for dialogue with "sisterly Algeria" - King

Moroccan King Mohammad VI
Moroccan King Mohammad VI

RABAT, Nov 6 (KUNA) -- Moroccan King Mohammad VI said Tuesday his country is ready for "a direct and candid dialogue" with "neighborly and sisterly Algeria." In a speech to the nation on the 43rd anniversary of the Green March, he suggested a joint viable plan on the normalization of the political relationship.
The Monarch affirmed that he proposed setting aside the differences and reopening the joint borders, noting that unity and integration serve the mutual interests of both nations.
He recalled the joint struggle of Morocco and Algeria against the French occupation and the support offered by Morocco to Algerians until they gained independence in 1962.
King Mohammad VI highlighted the historical, religious, cultural and linguistic similarities with the eastern neighbor.
On the Western Sahara, he reaffirmed commitment to the principled stance, saying, "The Kingdom of Morocco can never compromise on her sovereignty and territorial integrity." The Green March refers to mass demonstrations, coordinated by the government of late King Hassan II in November 1975, to force Spain to hand over the Western Sahara to Morocco. (end) jn.gb