Spain’s Position on Sahara Is ‘Very Clear’ and ‘Sovereign’ – Spanish FM

Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain, José Manuel Albares, reaffirmed on Saturday that the position of his country supporting the Moroccan autonomy plan for the Sahara is “very clear” and “sovereign”. Spain considers the Moroccan autonomy initiative as “the most serious, realistic and credible basis for the resolution of the Sahara dispute.” The position of the Spanish government on the Sahara is very clear and has been confirmed by the President of the Executive, Pedro Sanchez, to HM King Mohammed VI”, said Albares, who was speaking at an event organized in the Spanish Congress of Deputies on the NATO Summit, which will be held on June 29-30 in Madrid. Spain is a “free and sovereign” country to make its own decisions on foreign policy, said the head of Spanish diplomacy, adding that Spain “thinks by itself.” In this sense, he rejected “the meddling of third countries” in internal debates on the foreign policy of the government, ensuring that Spain advocates good relations with its neighbors “based on the same principles of mutual respect, sovereign equality, and non-interference in internal affairs.” In this regard, Albares described as “false” the debate on the position of Spain regarding the Moroccan Sahara, stressing that this debate is motivated by “spurious interests.”