São Tomé & Príncipe reiterates constant position in favor of Morocco’s territorial Integrity

São Toméan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ilza Maria dos Santos Amado Vaz, reiterated, on Thursday in Rabat, her country’s constant position in favor of Morocco’s territorial integrity and sovereignty over its entire territory, including the Sahara region.

In a press briefing following talks with her Moroccan peer Nasser Bourita, the head of São Tomé and Príncipe’s diplomacy reaffirmed her country’s full support for the Morocco-proposed autonomy plan, which constitutes, she said, the only credible and realistic solution to this regional dispute.

Amado Vaz also praised the efforts of the United Nations as the exclusive framework for reaching a realistic, practical, and lasting solution to the dispute over the Sahara.

The São Toméan top diplomat also expressed her satisfaction with the significant progress made by the Kingdom of Morocco regarding the socio-economic development of the Southern Provinces, through the New Development Model, which promotes stability, security, and regional integration.

São Tomé and Príncipe’s support to Morocco’s sovereignty over its Sahara was translated in 2020 by the opening of a Consulate General in Laayoune.

The São Toméan official also praised the leadership and commendable contribution of King Mohammed VI to the international community’s efforts to promote peace, stability, and development in Africa.

Amado Vaz also expressed her country’s commitment to further strengthening cooperation with Morocco in various fields, as highlighted in a Joint Statement issued after a meeting between the two countries’ foreign ministers.

Both ministers praised the momentum created within the framework of the Atlantic African States Process (AASP) to make the Atlantic African space a zone of co-emergence and stability, as well as a geostrategic framework that holds significant opportunities for synergy and cooperation between the countries involved, in strategic areas such as the environment, food security, health, energy, logistical interconnection, resource pooling, and the exchange of experiences.

Bourita and Amado Vaz also acknowledged the strategic role of the AASP in reinforcing peace, stability, and prosperity in the Atlantic region.

The São Toméan Minister further indicated that the partnership with the Kingdom of Morocco within the framework of the AASP will bring concrete benefits to the populations of both countries.

In this vein, she also hailed the King’s initiative aimed at enabling Atlantic access for Sahel countries, describing the initiative as being of strategic importance and as being part of Morocco’s active solidarity and South-South win-win cooperation with fellow African countries.

The two ministers hailed the progress made in building the Atlantic African Gas Pipeline, a symbol of South-South cooperation, with its operational phases currently in the startup phase.