On a fruitful tour, Nasser Bourita secures international support for the Moroccan Sahara
- United States: Morocco an indispensable player for stability in the region
- Towards a privileged partnership between Morocco and Spain
- France gives new impetus to bilateral relations with Morocco
- Slovenia opens an embassy in Rabat
- Croatia welcomes the real initiative of the Atlantic façade
- Estonia invites other governments to support the Moroccan Sahara
- Moldova backs Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara
- Hungary reaffirms its support for Morocco's Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara
During his tour, described as fruitful, of the United States, France, Spain, Croatia, Hungary, Moldova, Estonia and Slovenia the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, Nasser Bourita, has succeeded in renewing international support for the Moroccan Sahara.
United States: Morocco an indispensable player for stability in the region
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, Nasser Bourita, met with his American counterpart Marco Rubio on Tuesday 8 April in Washington, and held talks with the National Security Advisor to the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, Mike Waltz.
The meeting between the senior officials focused on the multidimensional strategic partnership between Morocco and the United States, based on trust, convergence of interests and the reliability of a key ally, as well as regional issues of common interest.
Within a geostrategic vision in which Morocco is perceived as a ‘sine qua non’ pillar of stability in a volatile region, the Alawite kingdom plays the role of a credible actor offering realistic and pragmatic solutions to frozen conflicts.
With its relevant approach that ensures peace, development and respect for regional balances, Morocco has secured the firm support of the United States for the Moroccan autonomy initiative to definitively resolve the dispute over Western Sahara.
Bourita's visit to the United States once again renews the Donald Trump administration's support for the Moroccan Sahara, underscoring how Rabat and Washington's visions coincide within the framework of an American-Moroccan rapprochement based on a convergence of values: the fight against terrorism, regional security, investment in sub-Saharan Africa and the energy transition.
Towards a privileged partnership between Morocco and Spain
The talks held on Thursday 17 April in Madrid between Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita and his Spanish counterpart José Manuel Albares highlighted the importance of strengthening the strategic partnership between Morocco and Spain, based on the principles of transparency, mutual trust and permanent and constructive dialogue.
Expressing their satisfaction with the positive momentum in bilateral relations between the two countries, the two ministers reaffirmed their common desire to work together to strengthen this partnership and make it a model of exemplary cooperation.
At this meeting, Nasser Bourita succeeded in ratifying Spain's position on the Western Sahara dispute and renewing its support for Morocco's proposal for autonomy as a solution to the dispute.
It was also an opportunity for the two kingdoms to renew their commitment to further strengthening multisectoral and multidimensional bilateral cooperation in its human, economic, commercial and security dimensions.
France gives new impetus to bilateral relations with Morocco
In response to an invitation from Jean-Noël Barrot, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita paid a working visit to Paris on Monday 14 April, as part of the implementation of the reinforced exceptional partnership between Morocco and France.
The aim is to implement the Exceptional Partnership, established by the declaration signed in Rabat on 28 October 2024 by King Mohammed VI and French President Emmanuel Macron, at all levels, in accordance with the guidelines of the two heads of state.
The meeting between the two ministers renews France's support for the Autonomy Plan for the Sahara conflict, reaffirming Paris' recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over its Sahara.
With a view to regional stability, Paris considers Rabat a strategic ally on the African continent with which greater cooperation is needed, particularly in the Mediterranean and sub-Saharan Africa.
Slovenia opens an embassy in Rabat
In talks held on Friday 18 April in Ljubljana between the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, Nasser Bourita, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, Tanja Fajon, both sides reaffirmed their willingness to strengthen their partnership in all areas of common interest.
The two ministers placed particular emphasis on the need to strengthen economic and trade cooperation, especially in the fields of renewable energy, logistics, agriculture and the automotive industry, as well as between the port of Koper and the port of Tangier-Med.
Given the need to resolve conflicts by peaceful means, with full respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of States, Slovenia renewed its support for the proposal of autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as a realistic solution to the Sahara conflict.
For its part, Morocco welcomed Slovenia's decision to open an embassy in Rabat in June 2025.
Croatia welcomes the real initiative of the Atlantic façade
In a joint statement adopted following talks in Zagreb between Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlic-Radman and Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad Nasser Bourita, Croatia welcomed the progress made by Morocco, in particular the New Development Model and advanced regionalisation, as well as sustainable development in the Kingdom.
During the working visit of the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday 16 April, Croatia renewed its support for Morocco's Autonomy Plan, praising the Atlantic initiatives launched by King Mohammed VI in favour of the African continent, to promote access to the Atlantic Ocean for the Sahel countries and the Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic gas pipeline project.
Estonia invites other governments to support the Moroccan Sahara
During his working visit to Estonia, the first by a Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs to this country, on Tuesday 15 April, Nasser Bourita succeeded in renewing Tallinn's support for the Autonomy Plan presented by Morocco in April 2007 to resolve the Moroccan Sahara issue, describing it as a good, serious and credible basis for a definitive solution to the dispute.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna encouraged other governments to join this position supporting Morocco's sovereignty over its Sahara and the Autonomy Plan, given the international momentum created under the impetus of King Mohammed VI, which positions Morocco as a key player in the stability of the region.
Moldova backs Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara
Moldova has expressed its firm support for the autonomy plan presented by Morocco as ‘the most serious, realistic and credible basis’ for achieving a final solution to the Western Sahara conflict. This position was formalised in a joint statement following a meeting between Moldovan Foreign Minister Mihai Popșoi and his Moroccan counterpart, Naser Bourita, during an official visit to Rabat.
The Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs also underlined its support for Morocco's ‘sincere efforts’ to resolve this long-standing regional dispute, stressing the importance of reaching a ‘fair, pragmatic, lasting and mutually acceptable’ political solution within the framework of the process led by the United Nations.
Hungary reaffirms its support for Morocco's Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara
Hungary, through its Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Peter Szijjártó, reaffirmed its support for the autonomy plan presented by Morocco in 2007, considering that it ‘should be the basis for the solution’ to the question of the Moroccan Sahara, within the framework of the United Nations.
The minister also added that his country took note of the positions reaffirmed by the United States and France on this issue.