The European Union has welcomed the holding of the initial round table on the Sahara that brought together representatives of Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, and the Polisario. The Geneva round table was held Dec.5-6 at the invitation of UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for the Sahara Horst Köhler, in accordance with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2440. The EU insisted on the imperative need to “take advantage of this momentum and to actively pursue the discussions in a spirit of compromise”. The statement notes that the Geneva talks “have rightly focused on key issues such as regional cooperation, job creation, regional development, stability and security, and youth”. The Geneva meeting follows a recent UN Security Council meeting and resolution 2040, adopted end of October, which calls on the parties to the dispute “to engage constructively” in talks.

Source: The North Africa Journal December 08, 2018 12:45 UTC