Spain responds to Podemos member’s blunder, reiterates it does not recognize “SADR”

Following the careless act of Spanish Secretary of state in charge of social affairs Nacho Alvarez who hosted in his office a Polisario delegation, the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not take long to admonish the minister of the leftist Podemos party and clarify again Spain’s position on the Sahara issue.

The Spanish Foreign Minister, Arancha Gonzalez, actually had a phone talk with her Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, about the meeting of a pseudo- Sahrawi minister with Alvarez, during which she reiterated Spain’s position on the Sahara issue.

“I had a phone call with my Moroccan counterpart on the meeting of the secretary of state for social affairs with the alleged Sahrawi minister for social affairs. I clarified that the meeting and the communication around it does not reflect the position of the Spanish government on the Sahara,” stated the head of Spanish diplomacy, Arancha Gonzalez, on her twitter account.

 

She further made it clear that “The position of Spain on the Sahara has not changed. It is a state policy. Spain does not recognize the “SADR” (Sahrawi Republic self-proclaimed by the Polisario) and supports the efforts of the UN SG for a peaceful solution within the framework of the resolutions of the UN Security Council.”

Leader of the leftist Podemos party Pablo Iglesias also commented on the controversial meeting of members of his party, part of the government coalition, with a polisario delegation, saying that the Spanish Foreign Ministry is the sole party responsible for Spain’s position on the Sahara issue and relations between Madrid and Rabat.

Pablo Iglesias, who is also the vice president of the Spanish government, made his remarks in a televised interview with RTVE.

Following the remarks of the Foreign Minister and of the Leader of Podemos,  Nacho Alvarez deleted his tweet in which he committed to continue to cooperate with the Sahrawi separatists in matters of relief aid for the disabled.

It is therefore crystal clear that the act of the Podemos Minister only reflects his own stand, which is contrary to the official stand of Spain, a state policy, as recalled by Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez.