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Foreign ministers of the Arab Maghreb countries met in the Libyan capital Tripoli on Sunday (April 19) to discuss ways on improving ties between each other.
The Arab Maghreb Union includes Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Mauritania. Sunday's meeting was the 20th time the foreign ministers of the countries have met under the umbrella of the Union.
Libya Secretary of Cooperation Affairs, Mohammed Syala, cited Tripoli's relations with neighbour Tunisia as an example that should be repeated with other nations.

"There is a great improvement in relations between the Maghreb countries, and its enough for me to give an example, that the size of the trade agreements between Libya and Tunisia exceeds 2 billion dollars this year. This is the largest agreement between two Arab countries. So if we reached an agreement to a free trade zone, we will see more trade between the member countries of the Union," he said.
But the task will not be an easy one. Morocco and Algeria have strained relations over the status of Western Sahara, which Rabat claims as its own and Algiers supports its separatist movement. Libya alienated some in Mauritania last month when it issued a soft tone towards military leaders who led a coup against their first democratically elected president.
Critics of the Union say it has been largely ineffective, but Secretary-General of the Union, al-Habib Ben Yahya, begs to differ.

"The Maghreb Union did not die. It is alive and well. The Union hasn't been buried in 20 years, the committees are working and there are intense meetings. We have over 100 meetings every year. Last year we had 72 meetings, not only to talk and chat, but for the greater interest of the Arab Maghreb countries, as we know that when we create common interests, we create new policies," he said.
Tunisian Foreign Affairs Minister, Abdelwaheb Abdallah, said the conference had broad aims.

"Our ambitions are to bring forward the Maghreb Union to achieve a lot for our countries, in economy, social, youth and co-ordinating these efforts," he said.
This year's meeting has bigger delegations than usual and will hope they can get on track to opening borders and creating bigger trade agreements for the benefit of the region's economy.