Western Sahara : Order of the day of talks between Algeria and Russia

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and special representative for the Middle East and African countries Mikhail Bogdanov met on Thursday with the Algerian ambassador to Moscow Mohamed Cherif Kourta, to discuss, among other things, issues related to Western Sahara.

According to Sputnik News, which quotes a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry, the two officials, after «discussing the situation in the Sahel and Sahara region and Russian-Algerian relations», stressed «the importance of resolving the conflict in the region through political and diplomatic means on a recognized international legal basis, including the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council». 

«During the meeting, issues related to the development of Russian-Algerian relations, including maintaining regular political dialogue and intensifying the bilateral relations, were discussed», the statement continued. This meeting comes as the Security Council is due to vote on a new resolution this Friday to extend the mandate of MINURSO.

For the record, at the beginning of the week, the Western Sahara issue was at the center of a videoconference meeting between Algerian foreign minister Sabri Boukadoum and the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres.