Morocco «wants stability» and the «normalization of relations» with Algeria, said Fouad Yazough, Director General for International Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responding to remarks made by former U.S. presidential envoy Steve Witkoff about American mediation efforts between the two countries. Speaking at the World in Progress Forum in Barcelona, organized by the PRISA Group, publisher of El País, Yazough said King Mohammed VI has extended an offer to restore ties with Algeria on three separate occasions, «but has yet to receive any response», according to Spain's EFE news agency. He also highlighted the strategic dialogue underway between Morocco and the United States, covering cooperation in both the Maghreb and Sub-Saharan Africa. In a 60 Minutes interview on CBS aired Sunday, Witkoff said, «we are working on Algeria and Morocco right now, and there's going to be a peace agreement, in my view, in the next sixty days». Algeria has not yet responded to Witkoff's statement, and state-aligned media have made no mention of it. Just days earlier, the Algerian president reiterated his opposition to any form of mediation with Morocco, even from «brotherly nations».
