“I would like to welcome President Macron’s decision to support the Moroccan position: it's a crucial step forward for our bilateral relations,” the French MP told MAP, adding that “the Cherifian Kingdom, a historic friend of France, deserves all our support.”

Ciotti, who recalled that a few years ago he was one of the first French politicians to “demand that our diplomacy join Morocco's position on the Sahara,” expressed his conviction that “this gesture strengthens our ties and paves the way for even more solid and fruitful cooperation.”

In a message addressed to His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the French President officially informed the Sovereign that he “considers that the present and future of Western Sahara lie within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty.”

In the same message, the French Head of State also reaffirmed to His Majesty the King “the unwavering position of France on this issue of national security for the Kingdom,” and that his country “intends to act in alignment with this position nationally and internationally.”