Sahara: Croatia joins chorus of European states supporting Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as solid basis for Sahara issue settlement

The government of Croatia has joined several other European countries in expressing support for the “serious and credible” autonomy plan offered by Morocco for the Sahara under its sovereignty,saying the plan is a solid basis for reaching a political and mutually acceptable solution in line with UN Security Council resolutions.

The supportive stand was expressed by Croatia’s foreign minister Gordan Grlić Radman in a joint statement issued Wednesday in Zagreb following talks with Moroccan peer Nasser Bourita,who is on a European tour.

Grlić Radman reaffirmed his country’s firm backing to the UN-led process engaged to reach a just,lasting,and mutually acceptable political solution to the Sahara issue.

The two ministers insisted on the exclusive UN role in handling the Sahara issue and reiterated their support for Security Council resolution 2756 (2024),underlining the role and responsibility of all parties to the Sahara regional conflict in finding a realistic and enduring political solution based on compromise.

At the bilateral level,the two officials hailed as excellent relations between Morocco and Croatia,and agreed on the importance of holding economic forums to encourage exchanges between economic stakeholders in the two countries,and of promoting cooperation in the cultural and academic fields,with a view to fostering human and economic development.

The two officials hailed the positive and constructive role of their respective countries in maintaining stability,security and peace in their respective regions,and their commitment to the fundamental universal principles of the UN Charter,and the peaceful resolution of conflicts with full respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of States,in accordance with international law.

They reaffirmed their shared desire to deepen dialogue and bilateral cooperation on regional and international issues of common interest and major strategic challenges.

Both parties stressed the importance of the strategic partnership between Morocco and the EU,calling for continued dialogue to put this partnership on a sound and solid footing.

They also stressed the need to develop cooperation,partnership and dialogue between the EU and its southern neighborhood,as well as with the Euro-African area.

In the Joint Declaration,Croatia also commended the leadership of King Mohammed VI as Chairman of the al-Quds Committee,as well as the large-scale reforms undertaken by Morocco under the leadership of the King,and his efforts to enhance the kingdom’s political,economic and social development,as reflected in the New Development Model and Advanced Regionalization project.

Croatia welcomed the role of the Kingdom as a regional pole of stability and a catalyst for growth and development in Africa.

In this connection,Croatia expressed great interest in the Atlantic Initiatives launched by King Mohammed VI for the African continent,notably the “African Atlantic States Process” Initiative,the “Royal International Initiative to promote access to the Atlantic Ocean for Sahel countries” and the “African Atlantic Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project.”

These Initiatives aim to make the African Atlantic space a geostrategic framework conducive to intra-African development,while promoting stability and prosperity in Africa,reads the Joint Declaration.