Minister of Foreign Affairs Mourad Medelci of Algeria

Algerian FM Medelci Talks to Asharq Al-Awsat05/10/2008By Salah AwwadNew York, Asharq Al-Awsat- Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci is expecting UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to announce the appointment of former US Ambassador Christopher Ross as his personal envoy to the Sahara to replace the Netherlands envoy Peter Van Valsom.

Regarding Algeria's relations with Morocco, Minister Medelci described them as well and good and reported that the Western Sahara problem is the reason for the non-normalization of the two countries' relations and also reported that the terrorist actions in Algeria are being financed from outside the country.

Medelci said on radio that several months of discussions between Khartoum and Algiers "go in two directions" -- including to ask the Security Council to freeze "very unfortunate" war crimes charges sought by the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor against Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir.

Medelci was Minister of Trade from 1988 to 1989 and Deputy Minister for the Budget from 1990 to 1991.

Algeria remains keenly interested in the establishment of the proposed Union for the Mediterranean (UPM), Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci has said, stressing that some obscure aspects in the proposal were hampering progress.

Commenting on the meeting of Mediterranean countries' foreign ministers scheduled for June 5 and 6 in Algiers, Medelci said that important and pertinent issues, including the situation in the Middle East, will be part of the agenda at the talks.

Regarding relations with neighboring Morocco, Medelci said that in the future, we have the ambition to open our common borders.

Medelci is in Iran as a member of high-ranking political and economic delegation headed by Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

ALGIERS - Algeria will try to help unify Palestinians ahead of a possible Arab summit to support conflict-torn Gaza, Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci said Monday.

ALGIERS, Dec 20 (Xinhua) -- Algeria-China relations have been progressing smoothly and the all-round cooperation between the two countries still has great potentials, Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci said here Saturday.

Speaking at a party to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Algeria and China, Medelci said the two countries have withstood hardship together, strengthened political mutual trust and achieved remarkable results in economic and trade cooperation.

Algeria-China relations have been progressing smoothly and the all-round cooperation between the two countries still has great potentials, Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci said here Saturday.

Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci says diplomat Ziane Hasseni has been mistaken for someone else.

Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci supported the Kuwaiti proposal and said that this proposal, currently in the making, would allow Algeria to act as a partner for connectivity.

The Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci said that the Algerian diplomat Mohamed Ziane Hassen, who is pursued by the French justice for the murder of the Algerian lawyer Mecili, has nothing to do with this case.

Medelci said that the roles of the secretariat of the UPM were generously distributed during the meeting.

MADRID (AFX) - Algeria's Finance Minister Mourad Medelci said he expects Spanish banks to be operating in the country in 2007, as the sector's privatisation process gathers pace, AFP reported.

Medelci was speaking after a meeting with Spain's Industry Minister Joan Clos.

Upon departure, Medelci said he has reached agreement with Iraqi officials on enhancing relations, especially trade ties, between the two countries.

Algiers has made it clear that it will only announce its participation in the July 13 Paris conference after obtaining the necessary clarifications on Israel’s role but Medelci said its position did not mean Algiers had reservations about Sarkozy’s project.

Mourad Medelci was born on April 30th 1943 in Tlemcen, Algeria.