The European Union affirmed, on 25 August 2022, its support for a just, realistic, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution to the Sahara issue, in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, in particular Resolution 2602, while taking positive note of the serious and credible efforts led by Morocco to resolve this dispute.
"As the EU's High Representative [Josep Borrell] has repeatedly stated, the EU's position is clear and consists in firmly supporting the efforts of the UN Secretary-General to achieve a just, realistic, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution to the Sahara issue," said EU Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Nabila Massrali. This political solution must be compromise-based and must go "in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions, in particular Resolution 2602 of 29 October 2021," the EU official explained.
Reacting to Borrell's recent statements to Spanish media, the spokeswoman told MAP that the EU's position was detailed in the Joint Political Declaration between the EU and Morocco of June 2019, which had taken positive note of the serious and credible efforts led by Morocco as reflected in Resolution 2602.
"The EU therefore remains firmly committed to supporting the work of the Secretary-General Personal Representative Staffan de Mistura and encourages all parties to engage with him for the resumption of the political process,'' she added, stressing the ''importance of preserving the stability of the region through more dialogue and a constructive approach."
Resolution 2602 of the UN Security Council confirms the "continuum" of the round-table process - with its modalities and its four participants - Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and the polisario - as the "one and only" framework for the settlement of the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara.
In this perspective and by reiterating in its 18th consecutive resolution the pre-eminence, seriousness and credibility of the Moroccan autonomy initiative, the Security Council confirmed that autonomy remains and will be the ultimate and final solution to this regional dispute.