Talks between Morocco’s Foreign Minister and the UN Envoy on the Sahara Issue

Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Residing Abroad, Mr. Nasser Bourita, held discussions yesterday, Sunday, in New York, on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, with the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for the Sahara, Mr. Staffan de Mistura. The talks were held at Mr. de Mistura’s request, according to a statement from Morocco’s Permanent Mission to the UN.

The statement mentioned that the discussions, which were attended by Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Omar Hilale, provided an opportunity to review the current international dynamic, led by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, in support of Morocco’s sovereignty over its Sahara, which is endorsed by numerous countries in favor of the Moroccan autonomy initiative.

On this occasion, the Moroccan delegation reiterated the four core principles of the Kingdom’s stance on the Sahara, as defined by His Majesty the King:

1. Support for the efforts of the Secretary-General and his personal envoy for a realistic, practical, sustainable, and consensus-based political solution;

2. Autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as the sole and exclusive solution to this regional conflict;

3. Roundtable discussions with the participation of all parties, especially Algeria, as the only framework for this process, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2703, dated October 30, 2023;

4. Strict adherence to the ceasefire by the other parties as a prerequisite for continuing the political process.

The statement concluded that Mr. de Mistura would also hold discussions with other parties in New York.