SAHARA PRESS SERVICE

Santa Cruz (Canary Islands) 18/06/04 (SPS) Spanish Trade Unions, UGT, CC.OO and Intersindical Canaria, claimed on Tuesday that the Spanish actual position concerning Western Sahara is "incompatible with the ambitions of a nation which aspires to being regarded as an international power", reported Spanish website, Diario de Avisos.

In a joint communiqué published Tuesday, the three trade-unions called the Spanish Government to get more involved in the search for a solution to Western Sahara's conflict within the framework of the United Nations, expressing theirs "solidarity and support to Saharawi people's struggle for its freedom and right to self-determination", deploring the failure of the U.N. peace plan due to "Moroccan intransigent position".

Calling their Government to assume its historical responsibilities towards Western Sahara, the communiqué recalled that "Spain, which was at the origin of the current situation Saharawi people are suffering from - for more than 27 years because of the tripartite agreements of Madrid of 1975 -, must assume its responsibilities resulting from its state as the former colonial power and to act like other European countries did in the decolonisation processes" of their ex-colonies.

"Spain was the cause of the problem since the beginnings and must, at least, take part in its solution ", avoiding past errors, which will not only affect Saharawi people's rights, if made, but also Spain's “geopolitical, cultural and economic interests".

In addition, the trade unions claimed for the implementation of the resolution 1495 issued in the 30 July 2003, unanimously adopted by the Un Security Council, congratulating the Polisario Front for the maturity and the political responsibility it has always shown " to facilitate a perspective of a peaceful resolution of the conflict ", despite of the multiple disappointments Sahrawi people lived without losing faith in the international legality (SPS)

060/090/997 191153 June 04 SPS  

SPS
SADR/SPAIN/VISIT
An important Basque delegation ends its three days visit to the refugee camps

Chahid El Hafed, 18/06/04 (SPS) An important Basque delegation, led by the Minister for Education, Universities and Research, Mrs. Angeles Izvestia, ended its three days visit to the Saharawi refugees camps, on Friday, by a lunch President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, offered in its honour, noted SPS.

The second of its kind during this month, the visit of the Basque delegation comes within the framework of tightening the bilateral relations of co-operation between Basque and Saharawi people. Mrs. Angeles had had the occasion to make a review, with the Saharawi leaders, on the current situation and the last developments of the national issues.

In this respect, she met, Thursday, with Saharawi Prime Minister, Mr. Abdelkader Taleb Omar, the Minister for Education Mr. Bachir Moustpha Sayed, as well as other national high officials.

The Basque delegation, which arrived to the Saharawi camps Tuesday evening, was composed of the Basque minister, her assistants, some political and cultural personalities, among whom the famous painter and sculptor, Nestor Basterretxea, in addition to representatives of mass media, especially Spanish T.V channels, Basque T.V and Europa-Press agency, as well as representatives of the newspapers El Mondo, El Pais and Spanish National Radio, Radio Sur and Bilbao's Radio.  (SPS)

040/090/100 191247 June 04 SPS