Algeria includes Sahara issue in talks with Slovenia

Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf visited Slovenia from August 29 to 30. This is his second visit to the Central European country after November 2023.

As expected, the diplomatic chief wanted to include the Sahara issue in the agenda of the meeting with the Slovenian Foreign Minister, Ms. Tanja Fajon, but with concessions to the host country. This is evidenced by paragraph 11 of the joint press release issued by the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was consulted by Abiradi.

“The two countries agree that the issue of Western Sahara should be resolved through peaceful and diplomatic means on the basis of international law.” This is a sentence that was silently ignored in the exchanges of Algerian diplomacy on social networks and social media. Official media reports.

Ahmed Ataf simply announced to the press: “Algeria and Slovenia defend the right of peoples to self-determination. This fundamental principle of the right of peoples to self-determination has a historical place in Algeria and Slovenia.

In the final communiqué, the two sides reaffirmed their “long-standing support for the United Nations-led process, including the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General and MINURSO, to achieve a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution” based on compromise and ensuring the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, in accordance with all General Assembly and Security Council resolutions on Western Sahara and the principles and objectives of the Charter of the United Nations.

In Slovenia, Algeria set aside its traditional demand for a role for the African Union in the process of resolving the Sahara issue.

As a reminder, the Slovenian foreign policy chief sees Morocco’s Saharan autonomy plan as “a good basis for reaching a final and consensual solution” with the support of the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy for Western Sahara.

The position expressed In a joint press release He published the article in Rabat on June 11 after a meeting with Nasser Bourita. The two sides then stressed the unique role of the United Nations in the political process and reaffirmed their support for UN Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 2703 of October 30, 2023.

Ahmed Attaf’s visit to Ljubljana comes as Slovenia will hold the rotating presidency of the Security Council from September 1 to 30.