Speaking at the opening of the 2nd session of Morocco-Burkina Faso joint commission, held on February 7-8, Burkina Faso's Foreign minister Youssef Ouedraogo commended Morocco for its "various initiatives aiming to find a consensual and peaceful solution to the Sahara issue while respecting international legality."
 
    The dispute erupted in 1976 when the Polisario laid claims to a former Spanish colony, the Sahara, which Morocco had retrieved in 1975 under the Madrid Accords signed with Spain and Mauritania.
 
    Deploring Morocco's absence from the African Union, the Burkina Faso’s minister voiced hope Morocco would "soon regain its place and contribute to the continent’s development and integration."
 
    The two-day meeting, which is to examine means to consolidate bilateral cooperation in various sectors, will be finalized by signing new agreements between the two countries.