Rabat: In an intensive and unprecedented diplomatic move, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, conducted a marathon tour spanning several Western capitals within just one week. This tour reflects the robust dynamism of Moroccan diplomacy in rallying support for the Moroccan Sahara and solidifying recognition of the autonomy initiative as the sole serious and credible solution to the fabricated conflict over the region.
Bourita traveled between Washington and Paris, passing through Budapest, Tallinn, Belgrade, and Madrid, bringing the Sahara issue to the forefront of international diplomatic discussions. These efforts resulted in securing supportive and advanced positions for Morocco’s autonomy proposal, as well as categorical affirmations of the Kingdom’s sovereignty over its southern provinces.
In Washington D.C., discussions with senior U.S. administration officials, including the Secretary of State, provided an opportunity to reaffirm the deep strategic partnership between Rabat and Washington, while highlighting continued support for the Moroccan autonomy initiative under UN auspices.
In Paris, meetings reiterated France’s principled stance in favor of the Moroccan initiative, emphasizing the need for a definitive resolution to this regional dispute within a framework of realism and seriousness.
In Budapest, Hungary reaffirmed its unequivocal support for the Moroccan Sahara, not only bilaterally but also within EU institutions, demonstrating the expanding scope of support within the European sphere. In Tallinn, Estonia expressed its appreciation for the Moroccan initiative, considering it a solid foundation for a lasting political solution.
In Belgrade, Serbia also expressed its explicit support for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom, a stance that crowns the strong diplomatic relations between the two countries and ongoing coordination on numerous regional and international issues. The tour concluded in Madrid, where the Spanish side, at the highest level, affirmed its steadfast support for the Moroccan initiative, in the context of the profound transformation in Rabat-Madrid relations since 2022.
Bourita’s recent tour, which took him across three continents in a record timeframe, provided a significant boost to the momentum of Moroccan diplomacy and solidified the Kingdom’s position as a weighty regional and international actor, adept at leveraging geopolitical shifts in favor of its just causes, foremost among them the Moroccan Sahara issue.