US Backs Spain’s Support for Moroccan Autonomy Plan in Western Sahara Dispute

According to a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, the United States says it agrees with Spain, which "considers the Moroccan autonomy initiative as the most serious, realistic and credible basis for resolving the dispute" over the Sahara, reports the Europa Press agency. Under the Trump administration, the United States had recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara in exchange for the normalization of diplomatic relations between the kingdom and Israel.

On Friday, the President of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez, stressed in a message addressed to King Mohammed VI that "Spain considers the Moroccan autonomy initiative as the most serious, realistic and credible basis for resolving the dispute" over the Sahara. A gesture of support long demanded by Rabat from Madrid. In reaction to the message from the Spanish official, Morocco indicated that it highly appreciates the positive positions and constructive commitments of Spain on the Sahara issue. The two countries have through this exchange of statements ended nearly a year of major diplomatic rift over this issue.