Speaking at the weekly cabinet meeting, the head of Moroccan diplomacy said that during his visit to the region, his first as the UNSG personal Envoy for the Sahara, Christopher Ross was entrusted with working to encourage substantive negotiations in a spirit of political consensus, said Communication Minister and Government Spokesperson, Khalid Naciri.

Fassi Fihri recalled that Ross was received by King Mohammed VI, the Prime Minister, the ministers of Foreign affairs and of the Interior, the Speakers of the two chambers of the Moroccan parliament, and leaders of Moroccan political parties (majority and opposition). These meetings, he said, were an opportunity to inform him on the national total unanimity vis-à-vis this issue.

The government, Naciri said, deems it important to fully prepare for the 5th round of negotiations, and calls on the other parties to engage in these negotiations in a “positive spirit”. 

The minister also recalled the efforts made by Morocco to normalize its relations with sisterly Algeria, deploring that the neighboring country has not reacted favorably to these efforts.

Interior Minister, Chakib Benmoussa, briefed the cabinet on his meeting with Ross, noting that emphasis was made on the fact that the autonomy project will have no meaning unless it is perceived within a political consensual solution, as part of the reforms initiated by Morocco at the regional level.

A similar emphasis was made on the issue of human rights as being approached in the same way in the south and the north of the country, the minister said, adding that the issue is witnessing a constant progress.