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AFET’s vote is not recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara

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Brussels, November 23, 2018 (SPS)  - The European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) affirmed that its vote, in Wednesday’s meeting, on “the proposal of the Council’s decision relating to the conclusion of an agreement in the form of exchanging letters between the European Union (EU) and Morocco, concerning the modification of protocol 1 and 4 of the Euro-Mediterranean association agreement between EU and Morocco, doesn’t mean at all the recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the territory of Western Sahara,” said  Sahrawi Deputy Minister for Europe .
“Western Sahara is a self-governing territory subject to the United Nations’ resolutions in terms of decolonization,” said Sidati.
While commenting this decision, the Sahrawi official said that “despite the forcing of the European Commission and some member States like France and Spain, AFET noted that this doesn’t mean at all the recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the territory of Western Sahara,” underlining that “it is a self-governing territory subject to the United Nations’ resolutions in terms of decolonization which involve the inalienable right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination.”
It insisted on the fact that “EU’s position still consists in ensuring its full support to the United Nations’ efforts to reach a fair and lasting solution enabling the Sahrawi people to exercise their right to self-determination, in accordance with the international law, the United Nations Charter and its relevant resolutions,” said Sidati.
AFET Committee expressed “its full support” to the personal envoy of the United Nations Secretary General for Western Sahara Horst Kohler, in his willingness to bring the parties to negotiations “without pre-conditions and in good faith,” he added. (SPS)
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