Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita has confirmed that the autonomy initiative presented by Morocco in 2007 is now receiving widespread support within the European Union, noting that 22 European countries have explicitly backed this initiative, describing it as serious and credible.
Bourita stated that Spain’s position on the Moroccan Sahara issue fits within a growing international dynamic, which has been bolstered by the strong momentum provided by King Mohammed VI to this file in recent years. He emphasized that the Moroccan initiative has become the focal point of international efforts to find a realistic and mutually agreed solution to this fabricated conflict.
During a press conference in Madrid on Thursday, alongside his Spanish counterpart José Manuel Albares, the Moroccan foreign chief added that international support is not aimed at maintaining the status quo or granting Morocco diplomatic leeway, but instead reflects a genuine desire to find a final and sustainable solution. He added, “Those who defend outdated positions do not want a solution but rather wish to prolong the suffering of thousands in inhumane conditions in the camps after more than fifty years of waiting.”
Nasser Bourita pointed out that this shift is not limited to Europe but also includes the United States, Gulf countries, and numerous African nations, which he believes creates a dynamic for resolution rather than merely diplomatic alignments.
In this context, the Moroccan foreign minister stressed that the resolution of the conflict can only occur within the framework of the United Nations, with full respect for Morocco’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, based solely on the Moroccan autonomy initiative.
He clarified that Spain’s position is not “isolated” but fits within a growing international consensus, urging the European Union to draw inspiration from the Moroccan-Spanish partnership model to succeed in neighborhood policy. He added that Morocco is ready to work with Spain within a trilateral Moroccan-Spanish-African framework to build a common regional space based on security, development, and stability.
In contrast, Spain reiterated that the autonomy initiative constitutes “the most serious, realistic, and credible basis for resolving” the regional conflict over the Moroccan Sahara.
Following his meeting with Bourita, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union, and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, mentioned that Spain acknowledges the importance of the Sahara issue for Morocco, as well as Morocco’s serious and credible efforts within the United Nations to find an acceptable solution for the parties involved.
In this regard, the Spanish government official confirmed that his country considers the Moroccan autonomy initiative as the most serious, realistic, and credible basis for resolving this conflict.
