Kingdom
Belgium Supports Moroccan Autonomy Initiative for the Sahara
Belgium reaffirmed its support for Morocco’s Autonomy Initiative for the Sahara, recognizing the region as an integral part of the Kingdom’s sovereignty and national unity. This position was formalized following a meeting in Brussels between Nasser Bourita and Belgian Minister Maxime Prévot.
Belgium expressed, on Thursday, its support for the Autonomy Initiative, presented by Morocco in 2007, placing the Sahara region “within the framework of the Kingdom’s sovereignty and national unity,” affirming that it will act “from now on diplomatically and economically in line with this position.”
This position was expressed in the Joint Declaration signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Residing Abroad, Nasser Bourita, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs, and Development Cooperation of the Kingdom of Belgium, Maxime Prévot, following their meeting today in Brussels.
Aware of the “existential importance of the Sahara issue” for the Kingdom, Belgium considers, in the same Joint Declaration, that the Autonomy Initiative presented by Morocco in 2007 constitutes “the most adequate, serious, credible, and realistic basis for reaching a political solution.”
For his part, Nasser Bourita welcomed this significant evolution in the Belgian position, describing it as a “clear recognition of the realism and legitimacy of the vision carried by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, for the definitive settlement of this regional dispute.”
This new position aligns with the international momentum supporting the Moroccan Autonomy Initiative, already backed by numerous countries from all regions of the world, and reflects a growing convergence around a pragmatic approach, based on dialogue, stability, and regional cooperation.
