Madrid keen to foster agreement among parties in Sahara conflict, official
Morocco-Spain, Politics, 10/26/2004

The new Spanish government is trying to foster agreement among the parties in the Sahara conflict so as to reach a compromise solution to the dispute in face of the current deadlock, said Taib Fassi Fihri, Moroccan minister delegate to foreign affairs and cooperation.

Fihri told the Spanish "El Pais" daily on Sunday the Spanish government "senses we are in a stalemate and expects the emergence of an agreement, since no solution cannot be imposed on the parties."

The Moroccan official said he was surprised by the suspicion of a part of the Spanish public opinion regarding the efforts of the socialist government to help reach a solution to the Sahara conflict, adding these efforts are part of those of the international community and the resolutions of the Security Council.

The Sahara dispute is opposing Morocco to the Algeria-backed Polisario secessionists that are claiming the separation of the Moroccan southern region, known as the Sahara, from the rest of the kingdom. The former Spanish colony was retrieved by Morocco in 1975 under the Madrid Accords signed with Spain and Mauritania.

He deplored that Algeria has been relentlessly opposing Moroccan territorial integrity in spite of the Moroccan will to ease tension and normalize relations between the two countries. Algeria ratcheted up its opposition since Morocco presented a memorandum to UN secretary general criticizing Algeria for hindering the process of settling the dispute, he added. On Moroccan-Spanish relations, Fihri said other factors are contributing to improve them, such as the two parties' willingness to maintain permanent dialogue and to reach agreement on bilateral issues.

Previous Stories:
  Moratinos: Madrid abstention in UN vote on Sahara due to its conviction of consensus importance   (10/23/2004)
  Grandson of Rif Battle hero denies Spanish paper allegations   (10/23/2004)
  Spain keen on fostering dialog on fisheries with Morocco   (10/22/2004)

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