Malta reaffirms support for Morocco’s autonomy plan on the Western Sahara conflict

Foreign Affairs Minister Ian Borg said that Malta considers Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Western Sahara conflict as a credible contribution to the resolution of the conflict.

Borg made the declaration during a joint press conference with Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita in Rabat, Morocco.

“Malta considers the autonomy plan presented by Morocco as a serious and credible contribution to the definitive resolution of the Sahara issue,” he said.

Malta has long taken a position of support for a UN-led peace process for the conflict in the Moroccan Sahara.

Morocco's autonomy plan for the Sahara issue, also known as the Moroccan autonomy proposal, is a political solution put forward by the Kingdom of Morocco to address the long-standing dispute over the status of Western Sahara.

The Western Sahara region has been a subject of contention between Morocco and the Polisario Front, a Sahrawi independence movement.

The autonomy plan was first introduced by Morocco in 2007 and has since been endorsed by several countries. The main idea behind the plan is to grant a significant level of autonomy to the region of Western Sahara while maintaining its territorial integrity under Moroccan sovereignty.

Memorandum of Understanding 

During this visit, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Moroccan Academy of Diplomatic Studies and the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies of Malta.

The aim of the MoU is to strengthen cooperation in research, training and exchange in the sector.

A cooperation agreement was signed between the Mediterranean Academy for Diplomatic Studies and the Moroccan Academy for Diplomatic Studies (Photo: MFET)

The two ministers also spoke about illegal immigration. Borg emphasised the situation in Libya and urged for a Libyan-led political solution to achieve stability in the region.

Meanwhile Bourita said Morocco is willing to cooperate on security and stability issues in Africa and the Mediterranean, with a particular view to the fight against illegal immigration.

Bourita also praised Malta’s role as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

Minister Ian Borg addressing the first edition of the Maltese and Moroccan Business Forum (Photo: MFET)

Morocco-Maltese Economic Forum

A forum to promote business links between Malta and Morocco was organised in Rabat, Morocco – the first of its kind.

Borg addressed the forum, reiterating that Malta and North Africa have a lot in common, allowing for more business collaboration and economic expansion between the two continents.

 “Malta recognises the strategic importance of Morocco and the existing economic and political stability. It was for this reason that together with Trade Malta, as a government, we felt the need to continue pushing more Maltese businesses to roam in this country,” he said.

The Maltese trade delegation is composed of more than 30 people from various sectors.