Maghreb
Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Frank Roy (Motherwell and Wishaw, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage reform within and co-operation between the Maghreb states.
Alistair Burt (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Afghanistan/South Asia, counter terrorism/proliferation, North America, Middle East and North Africa), Foreign and Commonwealth Office; North East Bedfordshire, Conservative)
The British Government strongly supports political and economic reform across North Africa as part of our wider work with the region under the Arab Partnership, to which we have committed £110 million over four years.
Ministers discuss the issue of greater Maghreb economic integration and co-operation on every occasion with their counterparts.
The Government supports efforts to revitalise the Arab Maghreb Union, and I will host a conference on “The Economy of the Maghreb: a Motor for Regional Co-operation and Prosperity” in July to discuss cross-border trade and employment opportunities with representatives from the region.