Russia Reaffirms Support for UN-Led Western Sahara Peace Process and Self-Determination

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alimov reaffirmed on Tuesday his country’s “steadfast” support for the United Nations Peace Process in Western Sahara, grounded in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and in line with the principles and purposes of the UN Charter, in a manner that guarantees the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination in “a free and genuine” form.

The remarks were made during talks held by Alimov with a Sahrawi delegation led by Minister of Foreign Affairs and African Affairs, Mohamed Yeslem Beisat, at the Russian Foreign Ministry headquarters. Discussions focused on several topics of mutual interest, “including the UN-sponsored peace process in Western Sahara, its prospects, and other related matters,” the Sahrawi Press Service (SPS) reported.

The meeting provided an opportunity to reiterate the Polisario Front’s “readiness” to hold direct negotiations with the Moroccan side under UN auspices, with a view to enabling the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to complete the implementation of the mandate for which it was established by the Security Council. It also stressed Sahrawi people’s “unwavering” commitment to their inalienable and non-negotiable rights to self-determination and independence.

The Sahrawi Foreign Minister met with a Russian delegation led by Alexander Nikolaevich, a member of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and a leading figure within the “Just Russia-Patriots-For Truth” party, who reiterated his support for international legitimacy and the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination.

The meeting, held on the sidelines of the international “Sovintern” forum, served as an opportunity to exchange views on the Sahrawi people’s just struggle against Moroccan occupation, as well as the developments in the Sahrawi cause amid international positions, notably within the Security Council.