Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Rabat – Qatar has once again expressed its support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan and its efforts to realize a just and sustainable peace in Western Sahara. The Gulf country’s Minister of state for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi attended a recent Western Sahara-themed conference and expressed his country’s strong support for Morocco.
Al Muraikhi thanked Morocco for the invitation in a speech at the conference. He emphasized that Qatar’s participation in the event reflected the “fraternal relations and the close historical relationship between the State of Qatar and the kingdom of Morocco.”
According to the Qatari official , his country’s position is “firm in standing with brotherly Morocco in its just causes in all international and regional forums.” Qatar’s position is a reflection of the “bonds of brotherhood and friendship, and the active solidarity that binds the two countries together,” Al Muraikhi went on to tell the attending diplomats at Friday’s conference.
Support for Guerguerat action
In addition to expressing his country’s support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan, Al Muraikhi also reiterated support for the recent lifting of the Polisario blockade at the Guerguerat border crossing.
On November 13, Morocco intervened to restore the free flow of movement and trade across its border with Mauritania. The operation did not result in any injuries or casualties and drew widespread support from large swaths of the international community.
Al Muraikhi spoke approvingly of the UN-led political process in Western Sahara, stressing the efforts of the UN Security Council in finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict amid renewed tensions.
He especially expressed hope the UN would find a way to “to reach a political and lasting solution to this regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara, in a manner that serves the interest of all the countries of the Arab Maghreb.” The Qatari official Qatar’s added that he wished to see “regional security and stability, in full respect for Morocco’s territorial integrity and sovereignty over its territories.”
Importance of international law
Doha’s support for Rabat’s Autonomy Plan at the important conference also came with a statement of support for the emphasis on international law that Morocco has pursued.
Al Muraikhi highlighted in particular the principles of “sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity of states, and the need to respect the principle of the peaceful settlement of disputes and their resolution through dialogue.”
Morocco’s Autonomy Plan constitutes the “optimal solution to the decades-old conflict,” according to Qatar’s top diplomat.
He reaffirmed that Qatar considers the Moroccan plan to be the “practical basis” for a UN-guided path towards “a just, lasting, and compatible political solution to preserve peace and stability in the region.”
