The meeting was devoted to discuss the Moroccan Sahara issue, and offered an opportunity to shed light on the Moroccan plan to grant substantial autonomy to its Southern Provinces, the Sahara.

   Ould Errachid underlined that the plan was highly praised and welcomed by the international community.

   The official also gave an overview on the historical developments and the major guidelines of this plan, which was submitted to the U.N. in April 2007.

   For his part, the chairman of the friendship group, Nejm El-Din Umar, told reporters the meeting raised the topic of negotiations to settle the Sahara dispute.

   The will shown by Morocco to solve the conflict will allow for moving towards a fifth round of talks, he said.

   The members of the parliamentary friendship group have met with several officials in Morocco, including the Higher Education minister and speakers of the upper and lower houses of parliament.

Statement:

We have been briefed on positive data and found that Morocco's proposal to resolve the issue of the Sahara is an effective framework, which was welcomed in various capitals, a model to solve the many crises of this kind. We are convinced that efforts in Morocco will bring about the conflict settlement.

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