CAIRO — The Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit on Tuesday called on Algeria and Morocco to exercise restraint and avoid further escalation following Algeria's announcement of severing its diplomatic ties with Morocco.

Aboul-Gheit expressed his hope that the two countries would restore the minimum level of relations in a way that preserves their stability, interests and the stability of the region, according to a statement by Arab League.

Aboul-Gheit also stressed that Algeria and Morocco are major countries in the system of joint Arab action, expressing his regret over the current situation.

Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra announced on Tuesday that his country is severing diplomatic relations with Morocco.

He added that this decision is motivated by the fact that Algeria rejects the logic of the "fait accompli" and the unilateral policies that Morocco has been taking.

OIC urges Algeria,

Morocco to end rift

In Jeddah, the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) called on Wednesday Algeria and Morocco to engage in dialogue to resolve any possible differences in viewpoints between the two sides.

OIC said in a press statement that it had followed news of Algeria announcing that it has decided to break diplomatic relations with Morocco. It called for shared interests and good neighborly relations between the two fraternal countries to take precedence.

OIC underscored that both nations have a common history along with common interests, as they are two active members of the OIC, and influential countries when it comes to joint Islamic action.

Earlier Wednesday, Morocco expressed its regret with the Algerian decision to sever its relations with it. It underlined that Morocco will remain a reliable and loyal partner for Algerians, as it will continue to work to develop ties.

The Moroccan Foreign Ministry said in a statement, issued by the Maghreb Arab Press Agency, on Tuesday evening, that the kingdom took note of the "unilateral decision" of the Algerian authorities to cut diplomatic relations.

The statement added, "Morocco will remain a reliable and loyal partner of the Algerian people and will continue to work to develop the good and constructive relations." — Agencies