SAHARA PRESS SERVICE

Algiers, 15/07/2004 (SPS) The Head of Spanish Government, José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who undertook a brief visit to Algeria Wednesday, was a carrier of a proposition of a meeting between concerned parties to the conflict in Western Sahara, of which Polisario Front was excluded in an attempt to push for an "agreement-plan" that will replace the Baker plan, according to the analysis of Algerian newspapers.
 
Entitled ''Algeria rejects the propositions of Madrid and Paris'',
the newspaper ''Liberté'' underlined some "deep difference of opinions between Algeria and Spain", concerning Zapatero's point of view in which the newspaper sees "a veiled denial of the numerous UN's resolutions, he presented under the form of firm diplomatic suggestions".

"After Michel Barnier, Zapatero does not persuade Algiers", was the headline of the newspaper ''La nouvelle république'', while "La tribune" claims that "the viable agreement" defended by Mr. Zapatero lacks credibility since it claims for a dialogue between Morocco and Algeria, noting Mr. Belkhadem's statements in which he emphasised that Algeria does not need a "supervisor" to set the dialogue with Rabat.
 
"Le quotidien d'Oran", on his part, notes "a backward movement from Spanish position traditionally in favour of self-determination", estimating that "Paris' appeals to 'direct dialogue' and research of a 'consensus' of all sides, aims at the only and same goal : to get out of the option of a referendum on self-determination as Rabat wants".
 
''Anyway, neither 'a decisive role' he hopes UN will have to find a 'viable solution', nor 'the agreement of all sides', can hide that regarding Western Sahara, Spain is about to evade its responsibility as the occupying power of the territory by rallying Paris' positions", underlined the newspaper.
 
It further warned that "by weakening – despite of the statements- the role of UN, Paris and now joined by Spain are likely to initiate at the end an armed 'direct dialogue' between Morocco and Saharawis". (SPS)

010/ALG/700/TRD 151030 July 04 SPS