The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

Spain and the US agree to "join forces" to resolve the conflict in Western Sahara

2022-01-18T22:54:37.157Z


Minister Albares advocates in his meeting with Blinken to do "everything possible" so that the Government and opposition resume dialogue in Venezuela


The Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, this Tuesday in Washington.Lenin Nolly (EFE)

The Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, tried to convey a message in Washington on Tuesday of rapprochement with the United States in the conflict over Western Sahara, in which both countries maintain different positions.

Albares said after meeting with his US counterpart, Antony Blinken, that both governments have "agreed to join forces" to find "a solution."

Donald Trump dropped a diplomatic bomb in December 2020, when he had just a few weeks left in the White House, by decreeing the recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. The decision, taken outside the United Nations (which is the body that has supervised peace between the parties since 1991) has become a

hot potato

for the Joe Biden Administration, one of those measures that is as controversial to apply as it is to reverse after . The democrat has not revoked it and Spain, for its part, maintains its position that the conflict be resolved through dialogue between Rabat and the Polisario Front.

Albares has addressed the issue in his first meeting with Blinken in Washington, in a visit with the aim of preparing the NATO summit to be held in June in Madrid. “We have agreed to join forces to finally find a solution to a conflict that has to end, it cannot last for more decades,” said the Spanish diplomat after his meeting with the US Secretary of State, avoiding going into details. "There are thousands of people waiting for a solution," he insisted. The minister told the press that this Friday he will meet in Madrid with the UN special envoy for the conflict in Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, after the diplomat's tour of the region.

In addition to the Ukraine crisis, Albares and Blinken have also discussed the situation in Venezuela. Washington became one of the great allies and promoters of the recognition of Juan Guaidó as interim president against the Chavista regime of Nicolás Maduro. Spain supported him along with most of the international community, but three years later Maduro is still in power and the situation has stalled. The minister advocated "doing everything possible so that the dialogue between the Government and the opposition becomes a reality again and progress can be made along the democratic path". He also stressed that any solution must come from "the Venezuelans themselves."

At the beginning of the meeting, the head of US diplomacy stated that in "challenging" times, such as the current one, having "close partners, friends and allies like Spain" makes a difference.

After the meeting with Blinken, Albares had scheduled an appointment with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Democrat Nancy Pelosi, the country's third authority, as well as a meeting with the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro , and with the president of the Ibero-American Development Bank (IDB), Mauricio Claver-Carone.

Source: elparis

All news articles on 2022-01-18

You may like

Trends 24h

News/Politics 2024-03-27T16:45:54.081Z
News/Politics 2024-03-28T06:04:53.137Z

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.