Rabat – Jiri Oberfalzer, the vice-speaker of the Czech Senate, has said that Morocco’s autonomy plan will “undoubtedly” offer a durable political solution to the “artificial” conflict over Western Sahara.
The official made his remarks to the press after meeting Morocco’s secretary general to the foreign minister, Mounia Boucetta, on Wednesday in Rabat.
Oberfalzer also recalled that his country supports the UN-led political process to find a peaceful, realistic, and durable political solution over the Sahara.
The Czech Republic is one of many countries in Europe, Africa, and elsewhere that support Morocco’s autonomy plan introduced to the UN in 2007.
The Moroccan government considers the autonomy plan as the only solution to end the conflict. The plan was created to develop the region.
The plan also seeks to allow Sahrawis to manage their affairs through legislative, executive, and judicial bodies bodies with exclusive competences, Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita said in 2018.
Supportive of the autonomy plan, the Czech Republic is also interested in business cooperation with Morocco.
Oberfalzer said that Moroccan-Czech relations are on the right track, calling for further economic trade and boosting of bilateral diplomatic relations to achieve a strategic partnership.
In March, the Moroccan government approved a bill that outlined a framework agreement on economic cooperation with the Czech Republic.
The passing of the bill followed the signing of a trade agreement in December 2018 between the two countries as part of the Czech-Moroccan Business Forum in Casablanca.
In December, Moroccan Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani received Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis while he was in Rabat on a two-day business visit with several ministers and 37 business leaders.
During his visit, Babis said, “Morocco could become the Czech Republic’s largest economic partner” in Africa at the launch of the Czech-Moroccan Business Forum in Casablanca.
He also commented on Morocco’s leading role in the automotive sector.
“Morocco is Africa’s largest car manufacturer. We import Renault and Dacia cars from Morocco.” Babis said.
He added, “The Czech Republic exports 2,400 Skoda cars a year to Morocco. There is an ambition to reach 4000 soon.”
