Washington (USA) 07 December 2019 (SPS)- The Spokesperson for the United States Department of State, Morgan Ortagus, affirmed on Thursday 5 December, that the US supports a peaceful solution to the conflict of Western Sahara within the framework of the UN.
Commenting on US Secretary of State, Michael R. Pompeo, visit to Morocco on the 5th December, the Spokesperson stressed that “the Secretary expressed his interest in advancing United Nations-led efforts to find a peaceful, sustainable, and mutually acceptable political solution to the long-standing dispute over the Western Sahara,” the text reads.
The statement asserts that the meeting discussed mainly bilateral relations, trade, the question of Western Sahara and the shared fight against terrorism in the region, while large number of international Media confirmed that the US main goal behind the meeting was to get a clear position of support from Morocco to its policies towards Iran.
With regards to Trade with Morocco, the US continues “building on the Free Trade Agreement,” between the two countries, knowing that on that same agreement, the US explicitly excludes the territory of Western Sahara in application of its position of non-recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over this last colony in Africa.
The visit, which was planned long ago, was supposed to initially take place from December 4 to 6, and included a meeting with Moroccan King, Mohammed VI.
Instead, the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, delayed and cut in half his trip to one day, Thursday, December 5, meeting only Moroccan Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Moroccan head of secret services.
Due to this drastic change, international and Moroccan Medias, estimated that Morocco failed to get what it was planning from this visit, since the American official never mentioned support to the Moroccan position on Western Sahara. (SPS)
090/500/60 (SPS)