Sahara: Belgium describes Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as good basis for resolving the issue

Belgium has joined the chorus of European countries that clearly support the Morocco-proposed autonomy plan, saying it considers the plan, presented in 2007, as “a good basis for a solution accepted by the parties” regarding the Sahara issue.

This stance was expressed in a joint statement issued in Rabat Thursday after talks between the Belgian and Moroccan Foreign Ministers Hadja Lahbib and Nasser Bourita.

“Belgium considers the autonomy plan, presented in 2007, as a serious and credible Moroccan effort and as a good basis for a solution accepted by the parties,” says the joint statement.

The Belgian official reiterated Belgium’s long-standing support for the UN-led process for a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution to the Sahara issue.

According to the Joint Statement, the two ministers agreed on the exclusivity of the UN in the political process and reaffirmed their support for UN Security Council Resolution 2602, which noted the role and responsibility of all parties in the search for a realistic, pragmatic, sustainable and compromise-based political solution.

Morocco and Belgium also welcomed the appointment of the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General, Staffan de Mistura, and reaffirmed their active support to his efforts to advance the political process on the basis of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, the Joint Statement said.

With this new support for the Moroccan autonomy plan for the Sahara, 11 European countries, namely Belgium, Spain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Hungary, Romania, Portugal and Serbia, have so far expressed their clear and irreversible support for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom, evidence of the effectiveness of Morocco’s diplomatic strategy.

Two years ago, only France was on the list of European countries to have declared support for the Sahara autonomy plan, under Moroccan sovereignty. Today, with the position expressed this Thursday by Belgium, the number of the European countries to have recognized the prevalence of the solution given by Morocco to end this conflict created by Algeria and its mercenaries, the Polisario, has increased to 11.