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Rabat – The Czech Republic affirmed today that the most practical path to resolve the Western Sahara dispute lies in granting the region autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty.
The country also signaled it would align its diplomatic and economic actions with this stance.
The declaration followed a first-time official visit to Morocco by Czech Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Petr Macinka, who met with Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita.
The two officials signed a joint statement outlining steps to strengthen cooperation and promote development in Morocco’s southern provinces.
As part of this initiative, the Czech ambassador to Morocco will visit the southern provinces to pave the way for Czech business delegations and support joint economic projects.
The Czech embassy in Rabat will also expand consular services to cover Western Sahara, reassuring that the region is treated on equal footing with the rest of Morocco.
In the declaration, the Czech Republic officially endorsed UN Security Council Resolution 2797 as well as Morocco’s 2007 autonomy proposal as the most credible and realistic foundation for a fair, lasting, and mutually acceptable political settlement.
The two ministers reiterated their support for the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for the Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, and his mission to guide the parties toward a definitive political resolution to this longstanding regional issue.
Strategic bilateral partnership
During their meeting, Bourita and Macinka voiced a shared determination to strategically elevate bilateral relations, describing the current momentum as “unprecedented.”
Both officials noted that Morocco-Czech ties have reached a high degree of maturity and acquired strategic importance across multiple areas.
The two ministers committed to establishing a structured strategic partnership, building on decades of diplomatic relations and converging national interests.
They also reaffirmed their intent to maintain a regular, in-depth political dialogue covering major international issues and key areas of cooperation, including security, defense, the economy, energy, migration, culture, and tourism. High-level visits and economic missions will continue to drive this momentum.
The ministers also recalled that bilateral cooperation has greatly improved since 2023 Prague Joint Declaration.
Looking forward, they agreed to strengthen collaboration in high-value sectors such as healthcare and pharmaceuticals, science and innovation, water management infrastructure, the automotive industry, smart cities, aerospace, cybersecurity, innovative transport, digitization and railways.
They also laid out future plans to explore opportunities for industrial co-development in defense, mining, food industries, renewable energy, and agriculture.
The new Joint Economic Cooperation Commission, which will meet for the first time in Prague this year, will serve as a key platform to implement these ambitions.
Both sides stressed the importance of enhancing Morocco’s visibility in the Czech Republic, including participation as a guest country at the 2027 Brno International Fair.
On security, they welcomed progress in military cooperation, agreeing that the October 2024 defense agreement, once ratified, will open new opportunities in defense industry collaboration, training, joint exercises, and technical cooperation.
The Czech Republic also commended Morocco’s designation as co-host of the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal, underlining the event’s potential to boost national development while creating opportunities for Czech companies.
Finally, the ministers focused on the human and cultural dimensions of their bolstering bilateral relations. They agreed to actively promote cultural and academic exchanges for students and researchers as well as public diplomacy initiatives to strengthen people-to-people ties and enhance cultural visibility between the two countries.
