French President Emmanuel Macron announced his country's support for Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara, both now and in the future, and expressed France's intention to act in harmony with this stance at both the national and international levels, according to a statement from the Royal Court on Tuesday morning.
According to the statement, this position was conveyed in a letter to King Mohammed VI, where the French President stated that "he considers that the present and future of the Sahara fall within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty," emphasizing "the consistency of the French position on this issue, which is linked to the national security of the Kingdom," and that France "intends to act in harmony with this stance on both national and international levels."
The statement added that, to this end, Macron stressed in his letter, which coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Throne Day, that "for France, autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the framework through which this issue should be resolved. Our support for the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco in 2007 is clear and unwavering," adding that this plan "now constitutes the sole basis for reaching a political, fair, sustainable, and negotiated solution, in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions."
Regarding autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty, the French President noted that "an international consensus is taking shape today and is expanding increasingly," affirming that "France is fully playing its role in all relevant bodies," particularly through its support for the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and his personal envoy.
President Macron stressed in his letter that "the time has come to move forward. I encourage all parties, therefore, to meet for a political settlement, which is within reach." Additionally, after praising Morocco's efforts for economic and social development in the Moroccan Sahara, the President of the French Republic expressed his commitment that "France will support Morocco in these efforts for the benefit of the local population."
The Royal Court considered the declaration of the French Republic, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, to be a significant and highly meaningful development in supporting Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara. It is part of the dynamic led by King Mohammed VI, involving many countries across different regions of the world, in favor of Morocco's territorial integrity and the autonomy plan as the exclusive framework for resolving this regional conflict.