United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, on Tuesday reiterated his call to "the parties," including Algeria, to enter into negotiations without preconditions to reach a solution to the three-decade old Sahara dispute opposing Morocco to the Algerian-backed separatist movement.

The Moroccan government "has worked hard" to settle the Sahara dispute, said, here Tuesday, British Prime Minister, Tony Blair.

Visiting Portuguese Foreign Affairs Minister Louis Amado, said that his country backs any initiative aiming at settling the Sahara issue insisting that it is in Europe's and the international community's interest to find a solution to the three-decade old dispute opposing Morocco to the Algerian-backed separatist movement "Polisario".

Belgium Deputy Premier and Minister of Justice, Laurette Onkelinx hailed as "interesting" Morocco's proposal to grant autonomy to its southern provinces, the Sahara, as a solution to this issue.