Marrakech \u2013 Morocco\u2019s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Hakim Hajoui, has described the recent United Nations Security Council resolution endorsing the Moroccan Autonomy Initiative as a \u201chistoric turning point\u201d in the trajectory of the Sahara issue.<\/p>\n
Writing in The Telegraph, he stressed<\/a> that the UK\u2019s June 1 decision<\/a> to support the initiative marked \u201ca historic turning point in our 800-year-old friendship,\u201d aligning both kingdoms behind what he calls \u201cthe most credible, viable and pragmatic path\u201d to resolving the dispute.<\/p>\n The UN Security Council\u2019s Resolution 2797, adopted on October 31, placed<\/a> autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as the basis for future negotiations.<\/p>\n Introduced by the United States as a penholder and supported by the UK, France, and other members, the resolution states that genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty offers \u201cthe most realistic path to lasting peace\u201d and calls on all parties to work toward \u201ca final, mutually acceptable political solution.\u201d<\/p>\n Hajoui cast this as an affirmation of a \u201cbroad international consensus,\u201d reflecting years of diplomatic work<\/a> and a gradual evolution in UN language, moving away from earlier references to a referendum model.<\/p>\n In his article, Hajoui wrote that the UK\u2019s support signaled more than a diplomatic position. It reflected \u201ca shared belief that progress begins where principle meets pragmatism,\u201d and reaffirmed, he said, \u201ca core principle of [the UK\u2019s] foreign policy: that partnership with stable, reform-oriented nations is essential to advancing peace and prosperity in an uncertain world.\u201d<\/p>\n London\u2019s decision was taken \u201cin full consistency with its core principles,\u201d he noted, suggesting that the move was the culmination of the belief that the UK\u2019s involvement \u201ccould help advance a credible and lasting process toward resolution under the United Nations framework.\u201d<\/p>\n More than 120 countries now regard Morocco\u2019s autonomy proposal as the credible political framework for resolving the dispute.<\/p>\n