Spain’s PM visits Moroccan King, assures Sahara support

Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, stressed his country’s position supporting the autonomy plan presented by Morocco in 2007 to resolve the dispute over the Moroccan Sahara, reports Middle East Online plus agencies. 

Sánchez spoke at a press conference held at the end of his working visit to the North African Kingdom. While at the conference, he reaffirmed the Spanish government’s position as expressed in the joint Declaration adopted on April 7th 2022, and the Joint Declaration issued at the end of the 12th Morocco-Spain High-Level Meeting on February 2nd 2023.

READ: Spain and Morocco enhance their relations, deals signed 

Considering the autonomy plan as “the most serious, realistic and credible basis” for resolving this dispute, Sánchez stressed that Spain’s position on the Sahara was clearly expressed in these two declarations. 

It should be noted however that this statement, which is repeated verbatim by a number of countries who broadly support the Moroccan initiative at UN level, is not an absolute, unconditional support for Morocco’s sovereignty bid as the phrase has become political jargon which Rabat often reads too much into. Most EU countries who use this phrase in their press communications, like the UK for example, want the indigenous people of Western Sahara to chose for themselves if they adopt the UN proposal, which means a referendum.

However, it is fair to say that of the supporters in the EU, Spain is probably the most vociferous supporter of Rabat’s vision.

As Spain and Morocco’s diplomatic and trade relations have grown closer, Sánchez visited King Mohammed VI at the royal Palace in Rabat.

READ: Sanchez to unveil 800 million euro investment for Morocco 

This visit comes after the new stage of bilateral relations, initiated by the meeting between the King and the President of the Spanish Government in April 2022, and the adoption, on that occasion, of the Joint Declaration between the two countries. 

MEO/Agencies.