"We had fruitful and significant discussions to take stock of the latest developments of the Sahara issue," Fassi Fihri told the press following his meeting with Ban Ki-moon, noting that the delegation conveyed to the Secretary General the leanings of the King as regards the prospects for solving this issue.

    Meetings with Ban Ki-moon and with his aids - namely the UN Under Secretary General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe and Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Alain Leroy - were driven by "the imperative to reach an agreement in the coming weeks, or even in the coming months, on the approach to be adopted, the people to be appointed and the terms to be endorsed to achieve, as soon as possible, intensive negotiations, as requested by the Security Council, on the basis of compromise and realism, as required by the Security Council," Fassi Fihri said.

    "Everybody knows that this leads towards achieving the political solution, advocated by the King and desired by the Moroccan people, in other words, autonomy and nothing but autonomy within the framework of the kingdom’s territorial integrity."

    Recalling that Morocco has always deemed necessary to conduct an assessment with the UN following the four rounds of negotiations in Manhasset, the Minister noted that such assessment will" allow us map out all the prospects in terms of procedure, approach, pace, purpose and way to obtain, in the best conditions, the implementation of suitable Security Council resolutions."

    Fassi Fihri underscored that "the goal (...) is of course to safeguard the kingdom’s territorial integrity and granting an autonomous status."

    On the convening of the 4th Committee of the U.N. General Assembly, the Moroccan diplomat stressed that the Security Council “is the political space” to solve the Sahara issue.

    “This issue has been on the agenda of the U.N. General Assembly for so long, too long,” he deplored, voicing hope that the UNGA "will follow, as it does these recent years, the general trend of the international community, through the Security Council.”

    “One cannot imagine a General assembly that stays in the background as regards the real evolution of this issue,” he said, stressing that Morocco "will do everything to keep the General Assembly informed within the framework of a compromise, if we reach one, and within a different framework if our protagonists do not show the necessary political will," he said.

Morocco made its voice heard on major issues 

New York (United Nations) Sept. 29 - Morocco has been able to make its voice heard at the United Nations General Assembly on major regional and international issues and on the recent developments in the Sahara issue, Foreign Minister, Taib Fassi Fihri, said on Monday.

   "Morocco was present with a large delegation so that its voice be heard on major issues," he told the press, recalling the kingdom's active participation in the various meetings and events, including those dedicated to Arab and Islamic causes and to development issues in Africa, he told the press.

    "We are pleased with the modest but heard and respected contribution of Morocco on means to achieve the Millennium development goals (MDGs), the fight against poverty and human development, especially in Africa," Fassi Fihri underlined.

    Hailing the fact that "once again, the objectives of the King on the domestic level fit perfectly with international goals," Fassi Fihri noted that "Morocco does not only have one partner but many (...) and one has to seek opportunities in different continents."

    Recalling that the Moroccan delegation held about fifty meetings with heads of delegations to the 63rd session of the UN General Assembly", the Minister said that during these talks "we seized the opportunity to confirm our supporters in their opinion and we informed those who have not got yet all evidence on the Sahara, including the recent changes within the Security Council."

    The recent developments, Fassi Fihri said, are important and it is essential to remember, especially, the fact that the Security Council works from now on to find a third way, a realistic and a compromise solution that can only be autonomy within the framework of Morocco's territorial integrity.

Source: MAP
News and events on Western Sahara issue / Corcas