London: The autonomy plan presented by Morocco to resolve the regional conflict over its territorial integrity represents the “only credible option” for bringing this issue to a close, said Andrew Murrison, Conservative member of the House of Commons, the lower house of the British parliament.
According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, during a debate on the autonomy plan at the Parliament on Wednesday, Mr. Murrison, who co-chairs the All-Party parliamentary group on Morocco at the parliament, stressed that the plan enjoys growing international support. France, the United States, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, and many other countries in Africa, the Middle East, and elsewhere in the world support the Moroccan autonomy plan, calling it the “only basis” for resolving this artificial conflict that has gone on for far too long, said Mr. Murrison, who has held several ministerial posts, including that of Defense.
He called on the UK to adopt a position similar to that of its allies, the USA and France, permanent members of the UN Security Council, noting that the UK must “get in step” with these countries by establishing “a consular and cultural presence in La Syoune and Dakhla.” In his opinion, British support for the Moroccan autonomy plan “is necessary” to enable the UK to further strengthen its relationship with Morocco, which dates back more than eight centuries.
Recent developments and the evolution of the global geopolitical stage “make the current British position untenable and incompatible” with the UK’s national interest, he continued. In this sense, he recalled that the UK maintains “solid” relations with Morocco, notably in the field of defense, highlighting the Kingdom’s influence and leadership in a “turbulent” region.
Morocco’s long tradition of tolerance and moderate Islam make it “a shield against extremism and instability in the region,” added Mr. Murrison, praising Morocco’s leading role in promoting the values of peace and strengthening stability. Morocco is a “bastion of stability, security, and respect in our direct neighborhood,” said the British MP. He also pointed out that the development achieved by Morocco in all fields in the Sahara region “leaves no one indifferent,” noting that the Kingdom, thanks to its infrastructure, including the Tangier Med port and the Dakhla Atlantic port, offers excellent and advantageous investment opportunities to its partners, including the UK.
Listing the various sectors open to an even stronger Moroccan-British partnership, including clean energy, Mr. Murrison noted that in the post-Brexit context, the UK is called upon to work in concert with countries sharing the same ideals and values with which London can do business, such as Morocco.