Sahara : «Mauritania does not support any party», Ismail Ould Cheikh says

«It is time to solve the Sahara issue», Mauritanian Foreign Minister Ismail Ould Cheikh told reporters on Thursday.

The Minister took the opportunity to stress his country’s «neutrality». «We are active and concerned» by this territorial dispute «but we do not support any paryt», he added.

The Mauritanian official explained that the position of his country is «not passive neutrality». «We are not spectators and we want this conflict to be settled as soon as possible. It is time to find a just and lasting solution accepted by all parties», he concluded.

For the record, King Mohammed VI called on his Green March speech, Tuesday, for «establishing sound, solid relations with sister Maghreb countries». «The current situation in the region and in the Mediterranean basin makes demands on us all. It requires positive action, given the opportunities and the challenges involved», he said.