Ukraine Supports Morocco’s Autonomy Plan

Rabat – Ukraine has expressed support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as a serious and credible basis to end the dispute over Western Sahara.

The country’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, reaffirmed Kiev’s position on the Sahara dispute during a joint press briefing with his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita in Rabat. By the end of the joint press briefing, the two chief diplomats expressed their countries’ determination to deepen cooperation and strengthen political dialogue.

Morocco and Ukraine both “know the value of sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the top Ukrainian diplomat told journalists today, stressing his country’s support for the UN-led political process aimed at finding a politically negotiated, realistic, and lasting solution to the Sahara question in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.

“The resolution of the Sahara issue is essential for regional security and peace,” he added.

The Ukrainian chief diplomat’s visit is the first of its kind for a foreign minister since the establishment of diplomatic ties between Rabat and Kyiv.

Kuleba’s visit is also part of his second African tour, reflecting Ukraine’s determination to boost ties with African countries more than a year into the country’s resistance to the Russian invasion.

During the press briefing, the Moroccan FM reiterated what he characterized as Morocco’s clear and unequivocal position on the Ukraine-Russia conflict, citing the country’s commitment to the principle of positive neutrality.

“As I have said more than once, Morocco is not a party to the war in Ukraine in any way. But Morocco is concerned by this war insofar as it affects regional peace and security and also given its economic repercussions on many countries including Morocco,” Bourita said.

The chief of Moroccan diplomacy went on to list a number of fundamental principles, emphasizing the country’s respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all UN state members.

But he further reiterated Morocco’s opposition to the use of force for settling political, territorial disputes. Peaceful solutions should remain the mainstay of global diplomacy, Bourita argued, stressing: “It’s a principle that Morocco has always promoted and the Kingdom defends this principle regarding the war in Ukraine.”