Eduardo González
The High Representative for the UN Alliance of Civilizations, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, yesterday expressed his support for the position of the Spanish Government in favor of the recognition of the Palestinian State and assured that the decision of Pedro Sánchez’s Executive to support the Moroccan autonomy plan for Western Sahara coincides with his own position during his time as Minister of Foreign Affairs with José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.
“We supported and took very good note of the Moroccan Government’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara,” Moratinos declared during an informative breakfast organized by New Economy Forum in Madrid. “I feel very proud that the Spanish Government has made that decision,” he added.
According to the former minister, Pedro Sánchez’s decision to support autonomy for Western Sahara does not represent “a radical change”, but rather a “strategic political commitment of the Government of Spain” and “a step forward” that had to be taken because, For Spain, “the relationship with Morocco is not a neighborly relationship; It is more than that, it is a strategic relationship.”
According to Moratinos, Sánchez’s decision does not imply abandoning the rights of the Sahrawis, but rather what he is trying to do is “democratize the Sahara”, so that “the Sahrawis can express themselves.” “We have to work in that direction and I think the Government has got it right,” he added to the attendees, among whom was the Moroccan ambassador to Spain, Karima Benyaich.
Palestine
On the other hand, Moratinos (who was general director of Foreign Policy for Africa and the Middle East in 1993, ambassador of Spain in Israel between 1996 and 1997 and special envoy of the EU in the Middle East between 1996 and 2003) showed his support for the position of Sánchez in favor of the recognition of the Palestinian State.
According to Moratinos, it is necessary “not to fall into the trap of non-recognition.” “Palestine exists now and is not going to disappear; Therefore, let us put the two States on equal terms, let them negotiate, like every State, borders, settlements, Jerusalem, security, but on an equal footing,” he continued. “It is about helping both parties, as the Government” of Sánchez is doing, because “we want reconciliation, peace and security” and what “we cannot is accept that there is this existential conflict for both parties,” he added.
For all these reasons, he stated, the words of the President of the Government and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, are “very accurate” because “they say it is now” when the Palestinian State should be recognized. “The President of the Government, the Minister and his entire team have been impeccable in the Middle East crisis,” he assured.
On the other hand, Moratinos urged to strengthen the role of the General Assembly, “which is the representative body of the international community,” to counteract the States that exercise their right to veto in the Security Council. “If you have 193 or 194 countries that cry out, that demand, that demand a series of essential issues, the pressure will be increasing” and, then, “the small club” that exercises its right to veto “is going to do every increasingly irrelevant.”
During the presentation of the event, the former President of the Government José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was “very proud” of the intention of Pedro Sánchez’s Executive to “recognize” the Palestinian State, which will be a “great moment for our country, for the idea of peace, for the values of International Law trampled and for broken hope.”
The breakfast was also attended by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares; and Agriculture, Luis Planas; as well as María Teresa Fernández de la Vega, who was vice president of the Government under Zapatero; and numerous diplomats who were senior officials in Moratinos’ team when he was at the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with others from the current team.
