Russian, Moroccan Foreign Ministers Discuss Syria, Libya, Western Sahara Dispute - Moscow

Russian, Moroccan Foreign Ministers Discuss Syria, Libya, Western Sahara Dispute - Moscow

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th April, 2019) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, discussed the situation in Syria, Libya, as well as the Western Sahara dispute at talks on Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 5th Ministerial Session of the Russian-Arab Cooperation Forum in Moscow.

"During the exchange of views on regional issues, the focus was on the situation in Libya, Syria, as well as on the Western Sahara settlement...," the ministry stated.

Western Sahara is a disputed territory, partially claimed by Morocco and self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). SADR has gained wide recognition among African states and by several Latin American and Asian countries, while the Arab League backs Morocco's territorial integrity.

Morocco proposed a solution involving granting autonomy to the region, while the United Nations voiced support for a referendum on self-determination. In late October, the United Nations adopted a resolution, authorizing a six-month extension for the UN mission for referendum in Western Sahara.

Earlier in April, Emhamed Khadad, the head of the foreign affairs committee at the Western Sahara independence movement Polisario Front, said that Russia could significantly help to settle the years-long dispute between the SADR and Morocco over Western Sahara region. Khadad noted that the Russian side advocated a just resolution of the dispute, based on the decisions of the UN Security Council.