"There is a Moroccan proposal on the table. We believe it is serious and for the United States, it is most probable" solution, said Mr Welch, during a meeting with media representatives accredited to Washington.

According to him, "the proposed autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is in the interests of the Sahrawi population."

He also stressed that "we should work during the coming months and years on to improve relations between the Maghreb countries".

"It is difficult to conceive a productive future for the region without an improvement in relations between Morocco and Algeria," said David Welch.

"We have to somehow work in this direction," he said, noting that the administration of President Bush will send to its successor "a positive record on the Maghreb."

We should work on this issue "for security reasons", said Mr. Welch, explaining that "what is happening in Mauritania and the continuing violence in Algeria is a major risk that could affect the region."

Source: MAP
-News on Western Sahara issue/ Corcas-