Tunisian president stresses support for Algerian sovereignty

Tunisia\'s President Moncef Marzouki speaks during a news conference in Tripoli The Tunisian Presidency expressed its astonishment at reports and comments by some Arab newspapers that distorted the content of President Moncef Marzouki’s speech during his visit to Libya. Some papers were suggesting Marzouki wanted to interfere in Algeria\'s internal affairs.
Marzouki said in a statement issued on Monday evening that the historical and strategic relations between Tunisia and Algeria cannot be affected by mistaken analyses that lack objectivity.
He also stressed “Tunisia’s full respect of the sovereignty of the government and people of Algeria.”
Marzouki’s statement came after controversy over his speech during his visit to Libya had been criticized by several Algerian newspapers, as he said “Islam can offer solutions for modern problems, and shouldn’t be faced and confronted, as was the case in Algeria
Marzouki, said that Arab citizens, who toppled their regimes in the Arab Spring States, have realized that Islam can offer solutions for modern problems, therefore, Islamists assumed power in those states.
This came in a panel discussion with Mustafa Abdul Jalil, Head of Libya’s National Transitional Council (NTC). The panel included a number of Libyan political, media and cultural activities and was held in the Libyan city of Benghazi.
\"This allowed Islamists in Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco to win elections,\" Marzouki said, stressing that the rule of the Islamic parties should be accepted not faced and confronted, as was the case in Algeria.
Some Algerian newspapers strongly criticized Marzouki’s speech, such Al-Fajr newspaper, and Asrar online,  which considered Marzouki’s speech as a radical shift in his political views as he used to abe a left leaning politician.
This statement coincides with Marzouki’s approval of appointing Abdul-Qader Hajjar as an extraordinary ambassador of Algeria in Tunis, who arrived to Tunisia on Monday, which considered as ‘contrary to the diplomatic norms that require 48 hours at least to complete this procedure, which stressed the strong relations between Tunisia and Algeria.
It’s worth mentioning that, Tunisian Presidency’s statement also stated that the Algerian President, Abdelaziz Boutafika will visit Tunisia during the celebration of the first anniversary of the Tunisian Revolution on January 14.