Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, during an interview on the program La Cafetera on Radiocable, denied that Spain has changed its stance on the Western Sahara conflict. He clarified, «There is no change in position, but there is a desire for this stalemate, which has lasted 50 years, not to continue for another 50 years». He added that the UN special envoy to Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, is the one who «must put the solution on the table, and a decision must be reached between the concerned parties». He explained that the main parties in the UN-led negotiations are Morocco and the Polisario Front. When asked if the Spanish government had provided sufficient clarifications regarding the letter sent by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to Moroccan King Mohammed VI in March 2022, Albares emphasized that this has indeed been done, noting that he «has attended Parliament many times to explain relations with Morocco and Spain's position on the Sahara issue, a position that is well-known and present in the Spanish-Moroccan declaration». Albares criticized those who obstruct reaching a political solution to the conflict, saying, «I find it completely irresponsible for some to sit on alleged principles and keep the situation frozen for another hundred or two hundred years». In the same interview, Albares praised the level of relations between Spain and Morocco, highlighting the «vital interests» that unite the two countries, such as fighting terrorism and combating «human trafficking mafias». He also affirmed that Morocco is «one of Spain's most important trading partners», with the economic relationship between the two countries being among the largest globally, surpassed only by trade relations with the United States and the United Kingdom. The minister also discussed the cooperation between the two countries in hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which will be jointly organized by Spain, Morocco, and Portugal.
