The Moroccan Press Agency reported that Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita stated that King Mohammed VI has invited Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to visit Morocco for a dialogue that could not take place during the Arab summit held in Algeria. Bourita informed the agency that King Mohammed VI extended an "open invitation" to President Tebboune for dialogue, noting that this conversation was not possible in Algeria during the summit. This invitation follows King Mohammed VI's absence from the Arab summit that took place in Algeria.
Bourita said in his statement: "His Majesty the King instructed to send an open invitation to President Tebboune, as it was not possible to carry out this dialogue in Algeria." The relations between the two countries have been strained for decades, with tensions increasing recently leading to a diplomatic rupture in August.
King Mohammed VI had expressed his intention in recent days to visit Algiers, where President Tebboune had invited him to participate in the Arab summit. However, according to the Moroccan Foreign Minister, "no confirmation (from the Algerian side) was received through the available channels" after the Moroccan delegation inquired about the planned arrangements to welcome the Moroccan monarch, expressing regret for the lack of "any response through appropriate channels."
Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra expressed regret on Monday during a television interview over what he described as a "missed opportunity," referring to the absence of the Moroccan king from the summit in Algeria. In response to his Algerian counterpart's statements, which indicated that President Tebboune was prepared to officially welcome King Mohammed VI upon his arrival in Algiers, the Moroccan Foreign Minister stated that "this type of meetings cannot be arranged spontaneously at the airport." He also confirmed that King Mohammed VI had instructed the sending of an open invitation to President Tebboune because such dialogue cannot take place in Algeria.
