In his first statement to the media, new Moroccan Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane said he was shocked by the approach used by the Syrian system towards pro-democracy protests. It is the first statement made by Benkirane addressing a foreign affairs issue. He added that what is happening in Syria at the present time was "more than oppression" and expressed his sorrow at the fact.   Meanwhile, the Algerian government commended the Moroccan elections that took place on November 25 describing them as "fair". Algeria also announced its willingness to cooperate with the new government led by Benkirane's Justice and Development Party.