Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said Morocco will intensify diplomatic efforts in Latin America and the Caribbean following the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2797, which urges all parties to engage in serious, unconditional negotiations based on Morocco’s autonomy proposal for the Sahara.
Speaking before Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee during 2026 budget discussions, Bourita said his ministry will push countries in the region to “adopt more constructive and supportive positions” on Morocco’s territorial claims.
He said the effort aims to consolidate recent gains made with governments that have shifted toward backing the autonomy plan.
Bourita highlighted increased exchanges, political consultations and high-level visits with several Latin American states, saying they helped narrow differences with countries that previously maintained “ambiguous” positions. He noted bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and his representation of King Mohammed VI at Ecuador’s presidential inauguration in May 2025.
That visit, he said, strengthened political ties and led to Ecuador opening an embassy in Rabat after cutting relations with the Polisario Front in 2024. Ecuador’s foreign minister reiterated her country’s support for the autonomy initiative during her visit earlier this year.
The minister also cited growing alignment with Panama following its 2024 decision to withdraw recognition of the Polisario. Bourita said Panama’s foreign minister reaffirmed support for autonomy during a visit to Rabat, where the two countries signed a cooperation roadmap for 2025–27.
He reported similar progress with Paraguay, whose foreign minister visited Morocco in October 2025 and announced plans to open a consulate in Dakhla. Bourita said Paraguay views Morocco as a strategic partner and a gateway to Africa, while Asunción offers Rabat broader access to South America and the Mercosur bloc.
Guatemala also reaffirmed its support, with its foreign minister calling Morocco’s autonomy plan the “only serious, credible and realistic solution” during an official visit, according to a parliamentary report.
El Salvador’s vice president, in political consultations with Rabat, restated his country’s backing for Morocco’s territorial integrity, part of a trend that began in 2019 and culminated with the opening of an El Salvador embassy in Rabat in 2022.
Bourita said Morocco has also strengthened ties across the Caribbean, where sustained diplomatic engagement has contributed to new support for the autonomy initiative as the sole basis for resolving the dispute.
The minister described 2025 as a year of “positive momentum,” marked by expanded cooperation plans and intensified bilateral contacts, underscoring Morocco’s efforts to bolster South-South partnerships and deepen collaboration across sectors of shared interest.
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