DR ‹ › At Moscow's request, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alimov convened with Algeria's ambassador to Russia, Toufic Djouama, yesterday, according to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry. «The discussions primarily centered on the conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa, which are currently on the UN Security Council's agenda. Special emphasis was placed on the developments and future prospects of the Western Sahara peace process, considering recent debates at the Security Council.» Press Release This meeting takes place just days ahead of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's scheduled presentation on April 30. He is set to deliver a report to Security Council members reviewing the MINURSO mandate, following Resolution 2797 adopted on October 31. Algeria remains staunchly opposed to any alterations to the UN mission's mandate, especially any proposals to change its name, as suggested by Morocco and the United States. Rabat and Washington are pushing for the mission to be refocused exclusively on monitoring ceasefire violations. In the early 2000s, the UN concluded the mandate of the commission responsible for identifying voters for the self-determination referendum.
