On Thursday, October 9, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin held talks with Morocco's ambassador to Moscow, Lotfi Bouchaara, with the issue of Western Sahara at the center of their discussion. According to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry, the two officials discussed «the situation in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Sahara-Sahel region», reaffirming their «shared commitment to prioritizing political and diplomatic means for crisis resolution, in line with the principles of international law and under the auspices of the United Nations». «The UN Security Council's agenda was also discussed, with particular focus on the peace process in Western Sahara», the statement added. The UN Security Council is expected to adopt a new resolution on Western Sahara by the end of the month. Backed by the United States, France, and the United Kingdom, Morocco hopes the text will mark a turning point in the long-standing dispute. Russia, as a permanent Security Council member with veto power, wields considerable influence over the outcome of Rabat and its allies' efforts. It is worth noting that Western Sahara was also discussed during the October 30 meeting between Algeria's ambassador to Moscow, Toufik Djouama, and Deputy Minister Vershinin.
