Western Sahara / “Intensive, frank, and useful discussions”
RABAT, Morocco, February 26, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Daily press briefing by the office of the spokesperson for the UN secretary-general
On Western Sahara, the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, Christopher Ross, travelled today from Algiers to Madrid, continuing a trip which has taken him to Rabat and Tindouf, and will continue in Paris and Washington.
Ross spoke to reporters before departing Algiers, where he said he held three days of “intensive, frank, and useful discussions”, including with President [Abdelaziz] Bouteflika and with the Minister of Foreign Affairs. “These discussions dealt with Algeria’s position towards the Western Sahara issue and the best means to resume the negotiating process, for which the Security Council has called, between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Polisario Front to find a just and lasting political solution to which both parties agree and that provides for self-determination for the Saharawi people,” he said.
Ross said that, at this stage of his first trip, as the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, he had “arrived at a clear understanding of the positions and points of view of the two parties and one of the neighbouring States and have found them to have a sincere desire to continue down the road and support my efforts”. He added that he intends to visit Mauritania at the earliest possible opportunity. And we do have his full remarks he made to the press before departing Algiers for Madrid.
SOURCE : United Nations – Office of the Spokesperson of the Secretary-General
