French President vows to help Morocco at UN, EU

French President Emmanuel Macon said his country will help Morocco in international organizations including the UN and the EU as it seeks to defend its sovereignty over the territory and its autonomy plan as a sole solution to the regional dispute.

Macron made the remark in a speech to the French diaspora in Morocco, as part of the visit he paid to Rabat at the invitation of King Mohammed VI.

Macron highlighted France’s commitment to defend the Moroccan plan “as the only solution within the European Union, at the United Nations.”

“We will also act in the region with the African Union, convinced that this solution is the one that will bring more security and peace to the Sahara but also to the Sahel and the entire sub-region,” Macron said.

He also said France will act “so that we can continue the economic and social development of Western Sahara, which is an imperative,” welcoming “the efforts made by Morocco in this regard”.

“The French Development Agency (AFD) and our companies will continue to do so within a (legal) framework that has been secured,” he assured to applause.

During Macron’s visit to Rabat, France has updated its maps to include the Sahara territory in Morocco’s full map and promised to expand consular services and cultural presence in the southern Moroccan provinces.