Spain's Position on Sahara, A "State Policy" - Spanish FM

The position of Spain on the Sahara issue “remains unchanged” because it is a “state policy”, said Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, EU and Cooperation, Arancha Gonzalez Laya.

“In a coalition government like ours, there can be different opinions and different sensitivities. However, our position on the Sahara issue remains unchanged. It is a state policy,” said Gonzalez Laya who was the guest, Thursday, of a program on Spanish national radio (RNE).

“Spain’s foreign policy is set by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in coordination with the president of the government,” Spain’s top diplomat added, noting that the position of her country on the Sahara issue “is constant and has not undergone any change.”

Last week, Mrs Gonzalez Laya underlined that “the position of the Spanish government regarding the Sahara is very clear and has not changed over the past few hours, days or weeks.”

This position consists of “full support” for the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, so that he can “guarantee the sustainability of the cease-fire” in the Sahara and advance “a political negotiation which leads to a political, negotiated, fair and sustainable solution in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council,” she told reporters at the end of the Council of Ministers of the EU FMs.

“For Spain, the important thing is the United Nations resolutions. All of them. The last one, adopted in October this year, clearly defines the parameters of these negotiations,” the Spanish top diplomat pointed out.