The Vice-President of El Salvador, Felix Ulloa, said Monday in Rabat that his country has always supported the sovereignty of the Kingdom over its southern provinces, reiterating El Salvador’s support for the territorial integrity of Morocco. and the autonomy plan as the “only solution” to this regional dispute.
Ulloa, who was speaking at a press briefing after his talks with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, Nasser Bourita, indicated that this position has was “clearly expressed in 2019” on the occasion of the visit made by the Minister of International Relations of El Salvador, Alexandra Hill Tinoco, to the Kingdom.
The Salvadoran official had reaffirmed her country’s support for the Moroccanness of the Sahara and the autonomy initiative, proposed by the Kingdom, describing it as “the only solution” to this regional dispute.
Hill Tinoco had also highlighted the “definitive withdrawal” of his country from its recognition of the “puppet entity” of the “rasd”, assuring that this decision, taken by President Nayib Bukele, is an illustration of the will of the Republic of El Salvador to open up to the Arab world, and in particular to Morocco.
Mr. Nasser Bourita received, today in Rabat, the Vice-President of the Republic of El Salvador, Mr. Félix Ulloa. pic.twitter.com/5QG2Yh3INQ
— Morocco Diplomacy 🇲🇦 (@MarocDiplomatie) November 14, 2022
The Republic of El Salvador considers that the Autonomy Initiative constitutes “the only basis for a realistic, viable and serious solution, within the framework of full respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Morocco and its national sovereignty. on its southern provinces”, underlines the Joint Declaration published, in 2019, at the end of the working visit of the head of Salvadoran diplomacy.
The Salvadoran government “supports the serious and credible efforts” made by Morocco to seek a “realistic, pragmatic and lasting political solution to this regional dispute, which is based on compromise”, adds the Declaration.
The Vice-President of El Salvador expressed, during his meeting with Bourita, his country’s desire to strengthen its support for the Moroccan Sahara issue, both within the United Nations and on the bilateral plan.
“This dynamic has enabled us to open embassies in our respective countries”, he indicated, recalling, in this regard, the visit made last October to the Kingdom by Hill Tinoco, during which she inaugurated the Embassy of the Republic of El Salvador in Rabat, the first of its kind in Africa.
Ulloa, in this sense, said that the strengthening of ties between the two countries has made it possible to launch a series of initiatives aimed at consolidating bilateral cooperation relations, citing as an example the signing of a twinning between the capitals Rabat and San Salvador, as well as the exchange of visits between parliamentary and business delegations from the two countries.
He also expressed his thanks to the Kingdom for the financial and technical assistance provided to his country with the aim of launching a series of projects in the agriculture and livestock sectors as well as new technologies.
The Salvadoran official also stressed the need to establish a new roadmap with a view to consolidating bilateral relations and joint cooperation in the respective regions of the two countries, expressing the readiness of his country, “which will always remain alongside the Kingdom”, to support Morocco’s accession to the Central American Integration System and to defend its interests.
El Salvador is aware of the importance of the Kingdom as a gateway to Africa, said the Salvadoran vice-president, who is on a visit to Morocco, during which he will have talks with a number of Moroccan officials.