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Rabat — Russia’s ambassador to Algiers, Alexey Solomatin, has appeased concerns from Algeria’s regime, insisting its stance on Western Sahara has not changed.
The ambassador made his remarks in an interview with Algerian regime-affiliated media El Massa. In the interview, the ambassador reaffirmed what he called as Moscow’s “changing” position when the journalist pressed him about Russia’s choice to abstain during the vote on UN Security Council Resolution 2797 in October last year.
The resolution officially endorsed Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as a genuine political framework to end the dispute over Western Sahara.
Russia’s decision to abstain from voting caused backlash among Polisario’s shrinking list of supporters, particularly Algeria’s regime.
The Russian government’s remarks ahead of the vote also sparked frustration among pro-Polisario circles as Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov explicitly welcomed the Autonomy Plan as a proposal that falls within the “framework of forms of self-determination.”
“The Moroccan self-governance choice can constitute a successful solution, as long as it adheres to international law and receives the approval of all parties.”
He added that it will be an acceptable proposal to Russia, signaling a notable shift in the Kremlin’s position ahead of the Security Council meeting.
In his interview, the Russian ambassador said his country’s firm position does not change.
“We emphasize that the issue must be resolved solely through political means, based on the relevant UN Security Council resolutions,” Solomatin said, adding a lasting solution must satisfy all parties concerned.”
Seeking to appease Algeria’s concerned regime, increasingly isolated as international support consolidates around Morocco’s autonomy proposal, the Russian envoy has reiterated that any solution should align with the principles of the UN Charter to guarantee “the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination.”
The remarks have long been instrumentalized by Algeria to equate self-determination with a referendum and Polisario’s independence claims.
Last year in December, Morocco’s Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita stressed how self-determination is not synonymous with a referendum.
In an interview with EFE outlet, Bourita said the concept refers to an expression of will that can take different forms within the framework of Morocco’s Autonomy Plan.
Bourita stressed that Resolution 2797 has never said self-determination means a referendum.
“What it says is that the right to self-determination allows the parties to express their will. I don’t think that when a person signs an agreement following negotiations, they are not expressing a will,” Bourita said.
Morocco has no problem with “self-determination,” Bourita said.
Bourita, clarified how Morocco rejects restrictive, anachronistic interpretations for political purposes.
“No one has ever said that self-determination is synonymous with a referendum – this exists nowhere. Therefore, we believe that if we want to read the resolution clearly and lucidly, it is straightforward,” the foreign minister said.
In his El Massa interview, the Russian ambassador also clarified why Russia abstained from voting on the UN resolution, alleging that Moscow could not support “such an unbalanced text.”
“We were also surprised by the approach of the unofficial actors responsible for the file [US], who decided to use the Security Council to strengthen their own position,” the ambassador said.
UN envoy for Western Sahara Staffan de Mistura denied such claims in a briefing following the adoption of the resolution, stressing how the resolution was in fact very detailed. with “every word was carefully chosen and negotiated.”
The UN envoy recalled the engagement of stakeholders, including the US and all relevant members of the Council, including those who abstained or did not vote.
“Resolution 2797 was the result of proactive engagement by the penholder through Dr. Massad Boulos, Ambassador Mike Waltz, and other members of the council,” de Mistura said, adding that “everyone was, in one way or another, involved.”
