The US Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, Michele Sison, reiterated on Wednesday Washington’s support to the Moroccan autonomy plan as a serious, credible and realistic solution to the dispute over the Sahara.
“The United States continues to consider the autonomy plan presented by Morocco as serious, credible and realistic,” Sison said at a press briefing in Rabat after alks with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita.
She added that Washington’s priority is to support a credible process leading to a dignified and lasting solution to the Sahara conflict, which has the support of the international community.
According to Sison, her meeting with Bourita focused on continued US support for Staffan de Mistura in his role as the UN Secretary-General's personal envoy for the Sahara.
The discussions were also about the strong US support for MINURSO's peacekeeping efforts and its importance in preserving the conditions for the UN-led peace process, she said.
Sison then praised King Mohammed VI's role in supporting peace and security in the Middle East and North Africa region.
She said her meeting with the Moroccan FM was an opportunity to discuss Morocco's recent election to the United Nations Human Rights Council, as well as the importance of human rights.
Sison announced a forthcoming meeting with the UN Country Team to discuss means of supporting the organization's programs for regional economic development, the livelihoods of women and youth, as well as assistance to refugees and clandestine migrants.
“The meeting is about issues that our Moroccan partners take seriously,” the US official said, adding that her country welcomed Rabat's contribution to UN peacekeeping missions around the world.
