Palau, a Pacific island nation, has expressed full support for Morocco's sovereignty over its southern provinces and for the Moroccan Autonomy Plan, describing it as the only solution to the regional dispute over the Sahara. This position was expressed during bilateral talks on Tuesday in New York between Morocco's Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, Nasser Bourita, and Palau's State Minister, Gustav Ngirachelou Aitaro. On this occasion, the two countries signed a roadmap for cooperation covering the period 2025–2027, aimed at fostering effective South-South cooperation with developing countries. In the roadmap, Palau stated that it «recognizes Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara region, and commends the serious and credible efforts undertaken by Morocco to achieve a realistic, pragmatic, and lasting political solution, based on consensus, to the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara». The country also stressed that «the Moroccan Autonomy Initiative, within the framework of the Kingdom's sovereignty and territorial integrity, constitutes the one and only solution to the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara, in accordance with Security Council resolutions since 2007, including Resolution 2756 adopted on October 31, 2024». By doing so, Palau joins the overwhelming majority of the international community, from Africa, Europe, the Arab world, Asia, and the Americas, that has clearly expressed its support for Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara and for the Autonomy Plan as the sole framework for resolving the conflict. The roadmap also sets out Morocco's commitment to sharing its expertise and experience in support of Palau's priorities, particularly in areas linked to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
