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Portugal, an Atlantic nation sharing centuries-old ties with many African countries, has reaffirmed its support for Morocco’s autonomy plan as the most serious, credible and constructive basis to settle the Sahara issue.
This came in a joint statement following talks in Lisbon Tuesday between Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and his Portuguese peer Paulo Rangel.
In the statement, Portugal recognized the importance of the Sahara issue for Morocco, as well as the serious and credible efforts undertaken by the Kingdom within the framework of the United Nations to achieve a fair, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution.
The two countries reaffirmed their support for UN Security Council Resolution 2756, which emphasizes the role and responsibility of the parties in seeking a realistic, pragmatic, and lasting political solution based on compromise, the statement added.
Portugal’s position is part of a global momentum in favor of Morocco’s historic rights to its southern provinces, the Sahara. It comes few weeks after the UK recognized the Moroccan plan as the only solution to the over-three-decade regional conflict.
The UK has become the third Security Council member to back autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as a solution for the Sahara issue, following the example of the US and France.
A growing number of countries have opened consulates in the Sahara territory, giving their support for Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara a tangible level.
While most of the EU backs Morocco’s autonomy plan, Ghana and Kenya have joined nearly half African states that recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara.
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