Panama Reaffirms Support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan on Western Sahara
Rabat, The Gulf Observer: The Republic of Panama has reiterated its strong backing for Morocco’s autonomy proposal regarding the Western Sahara dispute, describing it as the only realistic and credible framework for achieving a lasting political settlement.
The position was confirmed in Rabat on Friday by Panama’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos Arturo Hoyos Boyd following talks with Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita.
Hoyos Boyd stated that Panama considers Morocco’s 2007 autonomy initiative to be the sole serious and practical basis for resolving the long-standing dispute, within the framework of the United Nations-led political process and in full respect of Morocco’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He further noted that Panama’s embassy in Morocco provides full consular services across the entire national territory, including the southern provinces, a move that he said reflects Panama’s practical recognition of Morocco’s administrative reality on the ground.
Panama also reaffirmed its support for the United Nations and the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy to advance a political solution based on Morocco’s autonomy proposal, aiming for a fair, durable, and mutually acceptable agreement between all parties involved.
The Western Sahara issue, which remains a long-standing regional dispute, has increasingly seen international diplomatic support for Morocco’s proposal. In recent years, a growing number of countries across Africa, Europe, and the Americas have described the autonomy initiative as a credible and constructive basis for negotiation.
At the multilateral level, United Nations Security Council Resolution 2797 has placed Morocco’s autonomy plan at the center of the political process, calling for negotiations under United Nations auspices. The UN peacekeeping mission MINURSO continues to operate in the region under an extended mandate.
Major international actors, including the United States, France, and United Kingdom, have also repeatedly expressed support for Morocco’s autonomy initiative as the most viable path toward a negotiated solution.
Meanwhile, several African states have also strengthened diplomatic alignment with Morocco’s position on the issue, with recent developments including moves by some countries to reconsider or withdraw recognition of the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), reflecting a broader shift in regional diplomacy.
