Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced plans for an imminent Algerian-Libyan-Tunisian summit, continuing trilateral consultations to strengthen cooperation between the three countries. Despite efforts to include Mauritania, Algeria wants to relaunch the Maghreb Arab Union, excluding Morocco. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Wednesday announced the «imminent» convening of an Algerian-Libyan-Tunisian summit as part of periodic consultative meetings between the three countries. «We are about to meet in Libya soon within the framework of trilateral consultations, and we are waiting for President al-Menfi to set a date», Tebboune said on the sidelines of his meeting with Libyan Presidential Council Chairman Mohamed al-Menfi, who is in Algiers. The first summit between the three countries was held last April in Tunis. «We want our trilateral meetings to continue and remain a platform for action, whether at the summit or committee level», Menfi said. In March, Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf stated that «the Arab Maghreb Union is in a coma». He added that his country has taken the initiative to convince the countries of the region «to accept the idea of filling the gap», stressing that this objective was central to his tours in February to Libya, Tunisia, and Mauritania. «When I visited the Maghreb countries as a special envoy of the president, my mission was to explain this issue to them», he said. Algeria excludes Morocco The Algerian president had previously justified Morocco's exclusion by saying, «Our western neighbors want to join the West African Development Organization (ECOWAS), and they are free to do so». Moussa al-Koni, the deputy prime minister of Libya's Government of National Accord (recognized by the United Nations), reaffirmed Libya's commitment to the Arab Maghreb Union following his talks with Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita in the Gambian capital Banjul on May 4. He stressed his country's determination to «reactivate the Arab Maghreb Union», which requires «communication and coordination between all parties» in the Union. On April 23, the head of Libya's Presidential Council, Mohamed al-Menfi, wrote to King Mohammed VI about this issue. Menfi also sent a similar letter to Mauritania's president on April 24. Algeria did not succeed in including Mauritania in the trilateral meeting, despite the pressure it exerted on Nouakchott. The final communiqué of the trilateral summit held last April called on Mauritania to join, emphasizing the readiness of the three countries «to be open to any sincere political will that shares constructive common priorities to advance and enrich this joint collective action, deepen understanding and cooperation to serve security, stability, and development in the region, and avoid political divisions and the risks of foreign interference».
