Moroccan Sahara: FM Urges Countries Close to Region to Contribute to Solution Perspective

The countries close to the region, which have a very good knowledge of the Moroccan Sahara issue, are called to contribute to a solution perspective, said Friday in Rabat, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, during a joint press briefing with the French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna. “It is essential that countries that are close to this region, which have a very good knowledge of this issue, can contribute to the definition of this prospect of solution [to the dispute over the Moroccan Sahara],” said the minister at this press briefing held after his talks with his French counterpart. Bourita said that Morocco has never considered that the position of Paris is “negative but on the contrary”, recalling that France, which is aware of the importance of the issue of the Moroccan Sahara for the Moroccan people and the living forces of the nation, was “a pioneer from the beginning in the appreciation and support of the autonomy plan.” During the last three years, thanks to the action led by HM King Mohammed VI, there have been fundamental changes in the positions of countries close to France either geographically or politically, he stressed. The minister noted, however, that the need for adaptation is on the table and can be examined, especially since the Sahara issue and its regional and geopolitical environment have recently experienced significant developments. These developments have not called into question the fundamentals to which Morocco is committed, he said, recalling that the Kingdom is not for a solution outside the UN, nor for an imposed solution. Morocco considers that it is time to define positions in relation to the objective of the UN process and not in relation to the process itself, he noted, explaining that the process is not an objective in itself. “The processes are not an objective, the processes must lead us to a solution,” he concluded.