HIBAPRESS – Shafiq Anouri
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov welcomed, on Monday, for the first time in the country's history, the Moroccan autonomy initiative to end the Sahara dispute, considering it as one aspect of "self-determination."
Lavrov said during a meeting with Arab journalists that his country is ready to accept the autonomy initiative, which is considered one aspect of "self-determination" if all parties agree, which is in line with United Nations resolutions. The Russian Foreign Minister did not object to the possibility of the UN Security Council changing the missions of the "MINURSO" mission, to move from its original form of "implementing the referendum" to the form of "implementing autonomy," where he said that Moscow will rely on the decision if adopted. He stressed that this step requires the preparation of a new UN resolution based on other principles for settling the conflict, adding that his country is ready to discuss these initiatives if they receive the approval of the concerned parties. It is worth mentioning that this statement comes at the same time as international reports are talking about the Security Council's intention to make a change in the missions of the "MINURSO" mission to become a supervisory body for the implementation of autonomy as a realistic solution to the conflict.
