Mr. Khalihenna Ould Errachid said in a statement to the press on Tuesday evening following the first round, "This is exactly what Morocco was looking for; it has always preferred dialogue with a view to reaching a political and final settlement to the Sahara issue."
Mr. Khalihenna Ould Errachid added that Morocco hopes that this will lead, ultimately, in the context of a culture of transparency, to decent agreement, recalling the momentum launched by the Moroccan autonomy initiative which is" a great project. "
"We are optimistic and we hope that goodwill from all parties, Morocco and Polisario, as well as neighboring countries, will enable us reach a solution to end the impasse."
In this respect, Mr. Khalihenna Ould Errachid reaffirmed that Morocco placed on the negotiating table, "important and essential elements to settle this conflict," noting that this first round, which took place in a "good atmosphere" was characterized by "a frank and transparent dialogue," which in itself constitutes a "substantial progress ".
Morocco was represented during these negotiations by an important delegation composed of Interior Minister Chakib Benmoussa, Taieb Fassi Fihri, Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Fouad Himma Minister delegate at the Interior, Mr. Khalihenna Ould Errachid, President of the Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs, Mohammed Yasin Mansuri, Director-General of Studies and Documents and Mostafa Sahel, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom to the United Nations.
Statement by Mr. Khalihenna Ould Errachid after the conclusion of the first round of Manhasset negotiations: Today, we have reached success because we have reached a stage of dialogue, and this is good, and is also what Morocco was looking for: dialogue leading to a final solution to the problem of the Sahara. We hope that this dialogue based on principles and values of transparency will lead to a decent deal
Statement by Mr. Chakib Benmoussa, head of the Moroccan delegation, following the conclusion of the first round of Manhasset negotiations: I can emphasize that the presence of the Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs had an important role, because it was an opportunity to express the voice of the largest part of Sahrawis living in Morocco. This helped, regardless of some differences, to explain the Moroccan initiative, its general framework and the extended hand of Morocco, to keep dialogue open and ongoing
Source: MAP