Mr Benmoussa also voiced hope that the two-day negotiations (June 18-19), be an opportunity to fulfill an important breakthrough thanks to the good will of all the parties concerned and the support of the United Nations and of friendly-countries.
A delegation of high-ranking officials will represent Morocco in these talks to be held in Manhasset (New York outskirts) in accordance with a recent resolution of the United Nations Security Council calling for "negotiations without preconditions" between the two parties to solve the three-decade old Sahara dispute.
The delegation includes Minister of the Interior Chakib Benmoussa, deputy Foreign Minister Taieb Fassi Fihri, deputy Interior Minister Fouad Ali Al Himma, Chairman of the Royal Consultative Council for Saharan Affairs (CORCAS) Khalihenna Ould Errachid, chief of Morocco's intelligence (DGED) Mohamed Yassine Mansouri and Morocco's Ambassador to the U.N El Mostafa Sahel.
The Kingdom will take part to these talks "in good faith and optimism, spurred on by the will to reach a reconciliation and a final solution to this disagreement, which lasted too long," the minister told the press.
The United Nations resolution leads the way for a new process aiming to reach a final solution to this regional disagreement, he went on to say, stressing that Morocco is aware that the process has just started.
As to Moroccan delegation member and chairman of the Royal Consultative Council for Saharan Affairs (CORCAS) Khalihenna Ould Errachid, he considered that the good will of the parties concerned is likely to trigger a "constructive and positive process"." The peoples of the region await such a dialogue and agreement-based process to outstrip disagreements," highlighted Mr. Ould Errachid.
Talks between Morocco and the separatists have already been held in the past but failed to achieve a solution of the dispute over the former Spanish colony. Spain ceded the Sahara to the North African country in 1975 by virtue of the Madrid Accords, but the Polisario, backed by Algeria, continues to claims independence of the territory.