Morocco’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Omar Hilale, sent on Thursday letters to the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, and to the members of the Security Council, to inform them that "the European Parliament adopted, on January 16, 2019, in Strasbourg, the Exchange of Letters on the Agriculture Agreement between Morocco and the European Union (EU), by an overwhelming majority of 444 votes in favor, 167 votes against and 68 abstentions".

The adoption of this agreement, Hilale said, "marks the culmination of a long process of technical negotiations and political consultations with the legitimate representatives of local populations and legal validations initiated between Morocco and the EU." This adoption was preceded by several votes "largely favourable at the different bodies of the EU and the European Parliament", including the decision on the signing of the exchange of letters by the Council of EU Foreign Ministers adopted on July 16, 2018, by 27 votes in favor and one abstention, the favorable opinion of the European Committees, adopted by an overwhelming majority, and the adoption by the European Parliament's Committee on International Trade (INTA), on December 10, 2018, by a large majority of 25 votes in favor and 9 votes against, of the recommendation to approve the exchange of letters, allowing the adaptation of the Agriculture Agreement, the Moroccan diplomat pointed out. The process that led to the adoption of this agreement, he said, was also marked by an information mission in the Moroccan Sahara region made by an INTA delegation, on Sept 2-5, 2018, during which it visited socio-economic development projects in Laayoune and Dakhla, and met with representatives democratically elected by the Sahara populations, tribal leaders and local NGOs. An informal exchange of views was also held on August 30, 2018, as part of the "Monitoring Group" with the President of the Council of Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region and the Deputy-President of Laayoune Sakia El Hamra region, Hilale added. "Through this adoption, the European Parliament has recognized that its implementation benefits the development of the Sahara region and local populations, recognizing once again the full conformity of this agreement with international law and legality", the Moroccan ambassador said in these letters. "Lastly, it should be pointed out that the EU Court of Justice dismissed, in its judgement issued on December 21, 2016, the action for annulment brought by the Front Polisario against the decision to conclude the Agriculture Agreement. Moreover, the Court stressed that the Polisario is not entitled to represent the Sahara local populations and cannot play any role in concluding agreements between Morocco and the EU," the Moroccan diplomat said.