Morocco will participate, at the invitation of UN Secretary General's Personal Envoy, Christopher Ross, in a restricted informal meeting on August 9-11 in Austria, in preparation for the fifth round of negotiations on the Sahara, according to a statement by the Moroccan Foreign Ministry made on Saturday.

 The autonomous Sicilian government reaffirmed its support to the autonomy initiative proposed by Morocco to settle the Sahara issue.

Delegations of the parties to the Sahara dispute and the neighbouring countries (Algeria and Mauritania) will hold informal meetings on August 10-11 in Austria, a spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General announced on Monday.

His Majesty King Mohammed VI confirmed  in his address to the nation on Thursday, on the tenth anniversary of his majesty’s accession to the Throne, Morocc’s attachment to autonomy to resolve the Sahara issue with its "democratic depth and North African dimensions", as well as the Kingdom's firm commitment to support the building of the Maghreb Union to serve the interests of the region’s peoples, "according to constructive future perspective, beyond outdated attitudes. "

Mr. Mohamed Maoulainain Ambassador of His Majesty the King in Australia, refuted historical errors on alleged similarity between the Sahara conflict and East Timor, in an article published recently in an Australian newspaper signed by East Timor President Jose Ramos Horta, on the sidelines of a presentation at Melbourne Festival, of documentary on slavery in the Tindouf camps, raising campaign led by Polisario supporters in Australia since its introduction last June at Sydney Festival.