Helsinki (Finland), April 28, 2016 (SPS) - The Finish former Foreign Minister, Mr. Erkki Tuomioja stressed in an interview with the Association for the Monitoring of the resources and for the protection of the environment (AMRPENWS), I have been a minister for eleven years, and all these years, I don’t see the Moroccan side being interested in any solution, and is undermining the UN’s resolutions... but at the same time, the UN should be the primary mover for a solution for the issue. We have the resolutions, but they have to be implemented.
In his response to question about Ban Ki Moon ‘s description of Morocco’s presence in Western Sahara as “Occupation”, He used the language of the UN’s resolutions, resolution 1514, indicating that Morocco made a mistake by protesting against Ban Ki Moon, because that would make him and the Security Council more ready to defend a resolution that a huge majority has already called for.
He added that Morocco seems also to use everybody’s concern about terrorism as an excuse; and also claiming that Western Sahara has potentials for terrorism.
former Foreign Minister of Finland said that the European court of Justice’s ruling on December 10th,2015, is very interesting. It might come very handy even if the European Council appealed it... this progress in this situation is yet to be seen. It is very encouraging to have such a ruling as it prioritizes this issue on the EU’s agenda.
Respecting any potential role for Finland as a government in the Saharawi issue, he replied: I am now, here, representing the opposition in the parliament, so I can’t speak for the government here, The position on Western Sahara has not changed, and I don’t think it will change. Actually, there are questions about Western Sahara presented officially by the parliamentary group to the government. We are waiting for the written answers to be submitted from the government side.
Erkki Tuomioja advices the Saharawis to be patient saying: I have seen in some cases that looked like lost cases, but at the end of the day they won. For example, the independence of the Baltic republics which thirty years nobody would have thought possible just happened out of the blue.
At the end of his interview, “That’s an opportunity of course, but I don’t see any indications there could be anything new, only a prolongation for the rather frustrating situation which we have been having.” The Finish former Foreign Minister said regarding the upcoming UN’s meeting on Western Sahara. SPS
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