Moroccan FM’s European tour underscores growing momentum in support of autonomy plan

The Moroccan Foreign minister has met this week peers from Moldova,Estonia,Croatia,Hungary,and Spain as part of a European visit that highlighted the growing momentum in favor of the autonomy plan as a sole solution to the Sahara issue.

In Spain,the former colonial power in the territory,foreign minister Albares reiterated,following talks with Bourita,his country’s position in support of the Moroccan autonomy proposal as the only solution that can put an end to this conflict.

A similar position was expressed by Hungary’s foreign minister Peter Szijjárt who reaffirmed his country’s backing for Morocco’s territorial integrity and instructed his ambassador to visit the Sahara territory.

Croatia,Estonia and Moldova also joined their voices to Morocco’s in supporting the autonomy plan.

As the autonomy plan gains traction among global powers- following the US and France’s recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara- EU countries are increasingly voicing support for the plan that would put a political end to the over-five-decade conflict.

The UN envoy to the territory,Staffan de Mistura,has admitted in his most recent briefing before the UN Security Council that autonomy remains the basis on which the parties should engage in talks under the UN’s aegis.

As global powers put pressure on Algiers,the real party to the conflict,to accept the autonomy plan,smaller actors in the EU are adjusting their stands in a momentum that vindicates Morocco’s decades-long effort to end the conflict politically.