Thailand backs up "direct negotiations between the concerned parties under the aegis of the United Nations" to find a "final political solution" to the Sahara issue, affirmed Thailand's ambassador to Rabat, Akrasid Amatayakul.

"Thailand backs up direct negotiations between the concerned parties under the aegis of the United Nations to find a final, equitable and acceptable political solution" to the Sahara issue, said Amatayakul in an interview with the French-speaking weekly "La gazette of Maroc".
 
The Sahara issue was triggered in the mid-seventies by the claim of the Algeria-backed "Polisario" to separate the Moroccan southern provinces, known as the Sahara, from the motherland, after they were retrieved from Spanish rule in line with the Madrid accords signed in 1975.
 
The ambassador said his country follows with "great interest the Sahara issue developments, notably the reconstitution of the Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs (CORCAS) and the autonomy project to the Sahara."
 
Evoking Moroccan-Thai relations, Amatayakul pointed out that the diplomatic relations between the two countries date back to nearly twenty years, underlining that bilateral cooperation have developed over years. 
 
The two countries, he said, have identified key sectors to consolidate their cooperation, such as trade, investment, tourism, security and culture.