Algérie Presse Service (APS) - Feb. 19, 2013
Speaking at a joint press conference held with visiting Bulgarian foreign minister, Mr. Nickolay Mladenov, Minister for Foreign Affairs Mourad Medelci said that, "There can be no definitive resolution of the Malian crisis without a political solution, even though that solution can be include a security and military component, such as we see today."

In that respect, the minister underscored the significance of a "political solution" reached through dialogue among all Malian parties and required for a resolution of the crisis experienced by that country over the past several months.

On that occasion, he recalled the position of the African Union which, he said, has an "extremely important" role to play in the resolution of the Malian crisis and considers that "the political crisis (in that country) is more important than the security crisis."

"The political solution may be less visible and audible than the military solution, but it is not easier to achieve," he noted.

"Let us not be mistaken, however, because it is the political solution that will end up leading to peace and development in that country," Mr. Medelci said, as he called on the international community to join efforts and support the Malian authorities, so that a dialogue among the parties involved makes it possible to hold elections first.