We now have a clearer picture of France's pivotal role in the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2797 on October 31, concerning Western Sahara. Behind the scenes, French diplomacy skillfully navigated the reservations of the three European Union countries on the Security Council—Greece, Slovenia, and Denmark—aligning them with the stance jointly promoted by Paris and Washington. «Paris had to fight to the end to secure the support of its European partners within the Security Council. French ambassadors gathered amendment requests from Denmark, Greece, and Slovenia, which are strongly committed to the principle of self-determination», according to Africa Intelligence. Faced with Slovenia's initial hesitations about the text presented by the United States, Emmanuel Macron personally stepped in to address these concerns during his official visit to Ljubljana. The French president visited Slovenia on October 20 and 21 to participate in the 12th Summit of Southern European Union countries. Macron extended his stay with a bilateral visit, engaging in discussions with President Nataša Pirc Musar and Prime Minister Robert Golob. «The two leaders reaffirmed a common agenda on major European and international issues», reported the Elysée Palace following these talks. It is worth noting that Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune also made a state visit to Slovenia last May. Following the adoption of Resolution 2797, France is now working with Morocco on drafting a new document that includes the Moroccan autonomy plan, which will be presented to Staffan de Mistura, the personal envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara. On Wednesday, de Mistura indicated that he is awaiting the new version of the Moroccan proposal to restart the negotiation process involving the four parties: Morocco, Algeria, the Polisario Front, and Mauritania. In his speech on October 31, King Mohammed VI confirmed that Morocco «will proceed with the updating and detailed formulation of the Autonomy Proposal with a view to its subsequent submission to the United Nations».
