Former French President commends King Mohammed VI’s vision, reiterates support for Moroccan sovereignty over Sahara

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy praised King Mohammed VI for his leadership and vision that made Morocco the most stable country in the region.

Sarkozy made the remarks at the signing ceremony of his book “Le Temps des Combats” (time of battles) in Rabat.

“My love for Morocco is not new and I cannot hide that and the King is a wiseman with a vision and one of the key global leaders currently,” Sarkozy told an audience that included French ambassador to Rabat Christophe Lecourtier.

Morocco, under the leadership of the King, is on a track of solid economic development as it strengthens its foothold in Africa, he said.

Sarkozy also reiterated his position in support of Morocco’s historical rights and its sovereignty over the Sahara territory.

“The Sahara is Moroccan,” he said, noting that Rabat’s position on the conflict is the most conducive to stability.

“France needs to make progress in its position” regarding the Sahara issue, he said.

After he lauded Morocco’s development push in the Sahara territory, Sarkozy said “it is impossible to speak of another independent state in the Maghreb region.”

France has supported Morocco’s autonomy plan but fell short of adopting a bolder stance such as Spain which said autonomy was the “only” political solution to the Sahara issue.

The US along with more than 30 other states have recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara while the majority of the UN-member states back the autonomy initiative.