DR ‹ › In the aftermath of discussions on Western Sahara facilitated by the United States, Russia has reiterated its unwavering stance on this contentious issue. «Russia's position on the Western Sahara conflict remains unchanged. We stress that this matter must be resolved solely through political means, adhering to the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. Any fair and sustainable solution must satisfy all parties involved, uphold the principles and objectives of the United Nations Charter, and ensure the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination», declared Alexei Solomatin, Russia's ambassador to Algiers, during an interview with an Algerian media outlet. Solomatin highlighted that Russia abstained from voting on Security Council Resolution 2797 on October 31, introduced by the United States to extend MINURSO's mandate for another year. «We could not endorse such an unbalanced text», he clarified. Despite these concerns, the Russian ambassador expressed optimism that «the Personal Envoy, Staffan de Mistura, can swiftly achieve a mutually acceptable resolution». These remarks follow the initial round of Western Sahara discussions, conducted on Sunday and Monday at the U.S. embassy in Madrid, with participation from the four key parties: Morocco, Algeria, the Polisario Front, and Mauritania. Notably, Russia was not invited to these negotiations by the American hosts.
