The Financial Times, a leading business daily, called the move “a major diplomatic turning point” towards resolving this issue, noting that British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Sunday expressed his support for Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Sahara, stressing that the plan, presented by the Kingdom in 2007, is the most credible, viable, and pragmatic basis for achieving a lasting solution.
Lammy’s comments “amount to effective British recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty” over the territory, the Financial Times argues.
The newspaper notes that the UK’s support for Morocco’s autonomy plan comes at a time when Morocco has succeeded in garnering strong international support over the past few years.
For its part, The Guardian focused on the UK’s commitment, expressed by Lammy, to continue to act bilaterally, particularly in economic matters, as well as regionally and internationally, in line with this new position, to support the settlement of the dispute.
The newspaper also noted that the UK and Morocco are set to step up their efforts to further strengthen their cooperative relations in all areas.
Important cooperation agreements covering several areas were signed during the British foreign minister’s visit to Rabat, The Guardian noted.
In the same vein, The Independent, another major London newspaper, highlighted that Lammy and Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, Nasser Bourita, emphasized the special ties that have always existed between the two kingdoms. These ties are set to take a new qualitative leap with the signing of new cooperation agreements on Sunday.
As for The Daily Mail, it pointed out that the UK has become the third permanent member of the UN Security Council to support Morocco’s position, after France and the US.
Morocco has “massively invested” in the Southern provinces, a region that has become an attractive hub for companies interested in fishing, agriculture, infrastructure, and clean energy projects, the newspaper said.
Editorial team/le7tv