This year, the Green March's speech comes during a favorable regional and international conjuncture for Morocco. Days after the adoption of the recent UN resolution, King Mohammed VI welcomed the fact that 163 states do not recognize «SADR» and that the association agreement signed with the Kingdom fully recognizes the presence of the Sahara in Morocco. Commemorating the 44th anniversary of the Green March, King Mohammed VI delivered a speech. It was an opportunity for the sovereign to reiterate that «Morocco has always been clear in its position concerning the marocanity of the Sahara as much as in its firm belief in the justness of its cause and the legitimacy of its rights». Once again, the King stressed the Kingdom's will «to work honestly and in good faith to achieve a political, realistic, practical and consensual solution based exclusively on the political approach adopted by the United Nations and the relevant Security Council resolutions». The King rejected any other proposal for a solution to the Western Sahara conflict, stating that the «autonomy initiative provides for that solution, given that it is not only serious and credible, but also rooted in sound principles. It is the only way forward towards a settlement guaranteeing full respect of the Kingdom's national unity and territorial integrity». 163 states do not recognize «SADR» This royal precision is not a novelty as it comes in a regional and international conjuncture that is favorable to Morocco. This is reflected in resolution 2492, adopted on 30 October by the Security Council by 13 votes in favor and marked by the abstention of South Africa and Russia. This resolution was, however, received with great disappointment by Algeria and Polisario. It is in this context that King Mohammed VI emphasized that this «tendency has been reinforced by the growing number of States - now more than 163 - which do not recognize the fictitious entity». Last week in the House of Representatives, Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita announced that 17 states in Africa, 12 in Latin America and 2 in Asia continue to establish diplomatic relations with «SADR». Morocco has not only scored points on the political level but also in the economic field. «It is also confirmed by the partnerships and agreements which have been signed by Morocco with the influential powers as well as with many countries and sister nations, and which concern all the Kingdom's regions, including the Saharan provinces». King Mohammed VI reiterated the strategic position of the Sahara as a «gateway to sub-Saharan Africa». He insisted that the continent is «at the heart of Morocco's foreign policy».
