Morocco and Spain met on Thursday to mend ties over their western diplomatic row after Madrid expressed support for Morocco’s autonomy plan.
King Mohammed and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared during a meeting in Rabat that they were willing to usher in a new chapter based on “mutual respect, mutual trust, constant dialogue, and candid and faithful co-operation.”
Sanchez confirmed the autonomy idea as a viable option for Western Sahara in a statement.
Morocco considers the former Spanish colony to be part of its territory. However, the Polisario Front, which is backed by Algeria, wants to form its own state.
Recall, On April 6, News Central reported that King Mohammed VI of Morocco will meet with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Rabat on Thursday to try to resolve the diplomatic spat that erupted last year.
Morocco’s biggest trading partner is Spain. On topics such as migration, militancy, and energy, the two countries have collaborated.
After Spain said last month that it supports Morocco’s autonomy plan “as the most serious, realistic, and credible framework for resolving the issue” over Western Sahara, relations between the two countries have improved.
The language represented a shift in Spanish policy in support of Morocco’s claim to Western Sahara, a former Spanish territory that Morocco claims but where the Algeria-backed Polisario Front seeks to establish its own state.