Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf visited Slovenia on August 29 and 30, marking his second visit to this Central European country after his initial one in November 2023. As expected, the head of Algerian diplomacy included the Sahara issue on the agenda of his meeting with his Slovenian counterpart, Tanja Fajon, while making concessions to the host country. This is reflected in paragraph 11 of the joint statement published by the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as reviewed by Yabiladi. «The two countries agreed that the issue of Western Sahara should be resolved by peaceful and diplomatic means on the basis of international law». This passage was notably absent from Algerian diplomacy's communications on social media and official media releases. Ahmed Attaf told the press that «Algeria and Slovenia defend the right of peoples to self-determination. This fundamental principle enjoys a historical place in both Algeria and Slovenia». In the final communiqué, the two parties affirmed «their countries' long-standing support for the UN-led process, including the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General and MINURSO, with the aim of achieving a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution based on compromise. This solution will ensure the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, in accordance with all resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council on the issue of Western Sahara and the principles and objectives of the United Nations Charter». In Slovenia, Algeria temporarily set aside its traditional demand to involve the African Union in the process of resolving the Sahara issue. It's worth noting that the Slovenian Foreign Minister had previously described the Moroccan autonomy plan for the Sahara as a «good basis for reaching a definitive and consensual solution» to the regional dispute, under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General and his personal envoy for Western Sahara. This position was expressed in the joint statement published on June 11 in Rabat, following her talks with Nasser Bourita. The two parties then emphasized the exclusive role of the United Nations in the political process, reaffirming their support for UN Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 2703 of October 30, 2023. Ahmed Attaf's visit to Ljubljana comes as Slovenia prepares to assume the rotating presidency of the Security Council from September 1 to 30.
