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27.07.97
Socialist International
At the meeting of the African committee of the S.I. at Dakar,
Senegal, Pierre Mauroy, French S.I. chairman of the organisation,
declares that the return of Morocco to the OAU is necessary. He adds
that the S.I. supports the wish of the Socialist Union of Popular
Forces, Moroccan opposition party member of the S.I., which appeals
the organization's members to work for the return of Morocco to the
OAU.
28-29.07.97
Visit of the French Minister of Foreign Affairs to Morocco
After the arrival to power of the French left, this visit was very
expected by the Moroccans in order to clear up the the Moroccan fears
of a change in the politics of the new French government . To the
press the Foreign Affairs minister declares that the relations
between the two countries are "of an exceptional nature and quality".
"I will try to strengthen our cooperation, it will be a reference
partnership", adds Mr. Vedrine. On July 28 the French minister meets
King Hassan II in his Skhirat residence. Vedrine discusses also with
the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdellatif Filali,
with the Interior Minister Driss Basri and the Finance Minister
Mohamed Kabbaj. On the point of leaving Vedrine reaffirms that
Morocco is an "important partner, which is very important in the
French foreign policy". In a press release the French ministery of
foreign affairs declares, on July 30, that "going to Morocco, our
reference partner in the region, Vedrine has wished to reaffirm the
continuity of the excellence of the Moroccan-French relations".
28.07.97
MINURSO: nomination
The Austrian General Bernd Lubenik will replace, on August 1, the
Portugese Jorge Barroso de Moura at the head of the MINURSO.
30.07.97
South Africa
In an interview in the French weekly Jeune Afrique, Thabo Mbeki,
South-African vice-president, considers that the solution to the
Western Sahara problem consists in the application of the UN and OUA
resolutions. "Talks between the government of Morocco and the
Polisario are necessary to succeed ", he declares. "We wish that (the
current mediation of James Baker) will soon result positive", adding:
"We appealed the Moroccan government to overrun some blocking points,
like the identification of the electorate".
The Sahrawi government met on July 23 with the delegation which participated to the London negociations to study their results.
A conference on health, organized by the Ministery of Health, took place these days in the camps in the presence of the Health Minister Mr. Bulahi Sid. This conference will study the improvement of the health system and establish projects for 1998.
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