Sahara issue: Italy welcomes Morocco’s ‘serious,’ ‘credible’ efforts

Italy has commended “the far-reaching reforms” Morocco had undertaken over the last two decades under the rule of King Mohammed VI.

Italy commended Morocco’s “serious and credible efforts” to find a solution to the Sahara issue, in the Action Plan for the implementation of the Multidimensional Strategic Partnership between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Italian Republic, signed on Wednesday in Rome.

“Italy commends the serious and credible efforts made by Morocco”, as reflected in Security Council Resolution 2654 of October 27, 2022,” according to the Action Plan, signed by Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita and his Italian counterpart, Antonio Tajani.

In a joint declaration issued following the signing of the plan, Italy welcomed “the far-reaching reforms undertaken by Morocco over the last two decades under the impetus of King Mohammed VI, and the efforts made towards political, economic and social development.”

Rome also praised the sovereign’s efforts to promote development, stability, and growth in the African continent.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, is paying a working visit to Italy this Wednesday, July 5, at the invitation of his Italian counterpart, Antonio Tajani.

This is Bourita’s first visit to Italy after Tajani’s appointment, in October 2022, as vice-president of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Italian Republic.

Referring to the Moroccan autonomy initiative, Italy also reaffirms “its support for the efforts of the UN Secretary-General to pursue the political process aimed at achieving a just, realistic, pragmatic, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution to the Sahara issue, based on compromise in accordance with Resolution 2654”, the document stresses.

In the same Action Plan, Italy “encourages all parties to pursue their commitment in a spirit of realism and compromise, in the context of arrangements consistent with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations”.

The Action Plan, which follows on from the Joint Declaration signed in Rabat on November 1, 2019, is a concrete implementation of the multidimensional Strategic Partnership between Morocco and Italy, a partnership geared towards ongoing dialogue and practical, mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, also met, separately, Lorenzo Fontana, Speaker of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, who Fontana highlighted the excellent relations between Morocco and Italy in a number of fields, and the Chairman of the Italian Senate’s Committee on European Union Policy and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Giulio Terzi di Sant’Agata.

The Italian Senator underlined the vision of HM King Mohammed VI in the fight against radicalisation and the Sovereign’s commitment to consolidating democratic values and freedom.

In a statement to the press at the end of the meeting, Senator Giulio Terzi di Sant’Agata stressed that these issues require attention at both bilateral and multilateral levels.