Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, has called on the parties to the conflict in Western Sahara to exercise restraint during a telephone conversation with his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd December, 2020) Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, has called on the parties to the conflict in Western Sahara to exercise restraint during a telephone conversation with his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
"Due to the escalation of the situation in Western Sahara, Sergey Lavrov called on the parties involved in the conflict to exercise restraint, observe the ceasefire and restore the negotiation process under the auspices of the UN," foreign ministry said.
The ministers also discussed the situation in the middle East and North Africa, as well as in Western Sahara. The top diplomats affirmed their countries' position in favor of resolving conflicts exclusively by political and diplomatic methods, in line with an inclusive national dialogue and without outside interference.
The parties agreed to step up cooperation within the framework of the Russian-Arab Forum at the level of foreign ministers, which is going to be held in Morocco.
In November, the Moroccan authorities announced the start of an operation against the Polisario Front in the Guerguerat buffer zone in Western Sahara under the jurisdiction of the kingdom. According to the Moroccan Foreign Ministry, Rabat was forced to take these measures, after the forces of the Polisario Front independence movement invaded the Morocco-controlled territories of Western Sahara in October by blocking passenger traffic and commercial transport of goods across the border with Mauritania.
