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Join on Telegram Rabat – Morocco and Mauritania continue to strengthen their bilateral and political dialogue through frequent state visits aimed at enhancing ties and cooperation between the two countries.
Today saw one such high-level meeting between Morocco’s Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and the President of Mauritania’s National Assembly, Mohamed Ould Meguett.
The meeting served as a platform for both officials to discuss bilateral ties and how to strengthen bilateral relations.
Mauritania is one of the main parties to the Western Sahara dispute.
Although the country recognizes Polisario’s self-styled SADR, it has notably avoided aligning itself with the anti-Moroccan policies adopted that the Algerian regime has relentlessly pushed forth in recent years and months.
Nouakchott’s position on the regional conflict places Mauritania among the countries with which Morocco seeks to maintain strong and stable diplomatic ties.
While Morocco is committed to fostering positive relations, it continues to hold firm on its principled approach regarding the Sahara dispute.
The North African country frequently celebrates the growing momentum and widespread international support its position has genened in recent months, noting that this ever-deepening momentum reinforces the legitimacy of its cause.
Royal directive
King Mohammed VI emphasized this position in a parliament speech this past October, underlining the growing centrality of the Autonomy Plan as the sole basis for reaching a lasting political solution to the dispute.
“Having said that, we need to explain the fundamental elements underpinning the Moroccan position to the few countries whose stances on the issue still go against the logic of law and history,” King Mohammed VI said, emphasizing the need to convince these few countries through legal, political and historical evidence that confirm the legitimacy of Morocco’s claim to the Sahara.
During his speech, the monarch also emphasized the importance of party and parliamentary diplomacy in securing wider recognition of the Sahara as a Moroccan territory as well as in increasing support for the Autonomy Initiative as the only solution to the dispute.
In line with these directives, the President of Morocco’s House of Representatives, Rachid Talbi El Almi, announced the launch of a Morocco-Mauritania Parliamentary Forum to strengthen the relations between the two countries in February.
This Joint Parliamentary forum will be held alternately each year in Rabat and Nouakchott, he said, adding that it will be an important platform to discuss issues of common interest and to establish partnerships.
In recent meetings between Moroccan and Mauritanian officials, the two parties frequently reaffirmed their determination to further strengthen bilateral cooperation at all levels, including exchanges of experiences in the fields of legislation, training, communication, parliamentary diplomacy and parliamentary communication techniques.
An irreversible momentum
Morocco continues to reinforce its position with an increasing number of countries backing its Autonomy Plan.
This growing momentum marks a significant trend in the United Nations’ efforts to resolve the Sahara dispute, reflecting a rising inclination in the international community to support Morocco’s autonomy initiative.
Significantly, France has just recently – historically – joined the growing of countries that back Morocco’s full sovereignty over its southern provinces.
Other major countries that have publicly embraced the Moroccan pla and described it as the only realistic route to a lasting solution in the Sahara include Germany, Finland, the US, and Spain.
Judging from recent developments and reassuring statements from both Moroccan diplomats and independent watchers of the Sahara dossier, it is only a matter of time before many more countries join the chorus of support for the Moroccan Autonomy Plan.
