Netherlands Backs Morocco’s Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara

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The Netherlands has said that Morocco’s Autonomy Plan is a “serious and credible contribution” to the UN-led political process to find an agreed upon and mutually acceptable solution to the Western Sahara dispute.

Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister Wopke Hoekstra expressed his country’s support for Morocco’s initiative during a meeting today with his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita.

Following the meeting, the Netherlands and Morocco published a joint press release in which the European country conveyed its new position.

The news comes amid growing support for Morocco’s position on Western Sahara.

After the US’ recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara in December 2020, many other countries have officially endorsed the Moroccan autonomy initiative, describing it  as the most serious and credible basis to end the Sahara dispute.

In March, Spain publicly announced its support of Morocco’s Autonomy Plan, calling the Moroccan proposal the “most serious and credible” solution for Western Sahara.

A few days after Spain’s endorsement, France reiterated its support for the Moroccan initiative and touted cooperation with Morocco.

In December 2021, Germany announced Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as an “important contribution” from Morocco to resolve the dispute over the Sahara.

As part of today’s meeting, the Netherlands and Morocco jointly reaffirmed their support for Staffan de Mistura, the UN envoy for Western Sahara, urging him to continue his efforts for a “political process that seeks to achieve a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution” in accordance with the resolutions of the UN Security Council.

The two countries also reaffirmed the importance of their cooperation to ensure regional stability.

In particular, the Moroccan and Dutch top diplomats recalled the long-standing diplomatic ties uniting their two countries for over 400 years, stressing a firm desire to intensify dialogue and cooperation at all levels — especially in the fields of culture, security, human rights, and trade.

Both Morocco and the Netherlands committed to engaging in joint actions to defeat terrorism.

On Tuesday, the two countries signed an agreement reaffirming their determination to boost cooperation in the security field.

The Dutch FM’s meeting with Bourita took place on the sidelines of the Ministerial Meeting of the Global Coalition against ISIS, which opened today in Marrakech with representatives from 80 countries.

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