SAHARA PRESSE SERVICE

Chahid el Hafed, 22/06/04, (SPS) The President of the Republic, Mr. Mohamed Abdelaziz, received Cuban Ambassador to Algiers, M. Alberto Blanco, who is undertaking his traditional work visit to the refugees’ camps, on Tuesday at the presidency, SPS noted.

Ambassador of Cuba to Algiers, accredited in SADR, Mr. Blanco, met with many members of the political leadership, in particular with the President of Parliament, Mahfoud Ali Beiba, the Head of the Government, Abdelkader Taleb Omar, as well as other officials, before been received by the Head of the State, Mohamed Abdelaziz .

These meetings tackled the last developments in the national cause, the bilateral relationships of cooperation and common questions regarding to social and cultural fields between Cuba and the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic.

On another hand, the Cuban Ambassador visited Cuban mission in the refugees' camps, which is working in Saharawi hospitals. (SPS)

SPS
SADR/DENMARK/MOROCCO
Denmark does not recognise Moroccan sovereignty on Western Sahara

Copenhagen, 22/06/04 (SPS) Danish Government, does not "recognise Moroccan sovereignty on Western Sahara", declared Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Per Stig Møller, in response to a question he answered before of his Parliament, according to close sources to the Saharawi representation to Denmark.

Answering a question asked by Danish Member of the Parliamentary group Enhedslisten (Union list, in English), Mr. Soern Soendergaard, the Minister for Foreign Affairs asserted that his Government "does not recognise Moroccan sovereignty on Western Sahara ", considering Moroccan presence on the territory as illegal and unacceptable.

Regarding the peace plan, elaborated by UN Secretary General's former Personal Envoy, James Baker, Mr. Møller affirmed that this plan remains applicable, recalling that it "is accepted by Polisario Front and the neighbouring countries and is unanimously adopted by Security Council in its resolution 1495".

Finally, the Head of Danish diplomacy reiterated "the support of Denmark of the efforts paid by UN's Secretary General and his former Personal Envoy aimed at reaching a just and lasting solution to the conflict", in Western Sahara conforming to international legality and by implementing UN's resolutions. (SPS)

SPS
SADR/UN
UN remains resolved to help the parties towards a lasting solution that guarantee Saharawi people's self-determination

Chahid El Hafed, 22/06/2004 (SPS) UN's Secretary General, Kofi Annan, asserted, Monday, that he is firmly resolved to work with the parties for "a just and lasting political solution", that guarantee "self-determination to the people of Western Sahara".

"Though regretting the departure of Baker, I would like to insure you that I remain firmly resolved to help the parties reach a just and lasting political solution that can be mutually accepted and that will guarantee self-determination to the people of western Sahara", underlined Kofi Annan, in a letter he addressed to the President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz, of which SPS received a copy in French.

In this letter, UN's Secretary General paid tribute to the efforts of his former Personal envoy, recalling the latter's contribution "to the realisation of the suitable conditions to the implementation of the confidence-building measures so Longley awaited for", especially the actual program of family exchange of visits between families in occupied territories and their relatives in refugees' camps.

Baker, "worked hardly in the search of a lasting solution to the conflict for the last seven years, he worked in close collaboration with the Polisario Front, Morocco and the neighbouring countries", for a just and lasting settlement to the question of Western Sahara, he concluded.

It should be recalled that Former Personal Envoy, Baker, left to the international community "an invaluable legacy, a Peace plan which enjoyed the support of the Security Council", which must be taken into account in any possible search for a solution to the conflict, having endorsed Saharawi people's right to self-determination ", conforming to legality and to international law. (SPS)

020/090/000/TRD 221240 04 SPS

SPS
SADR/SPAIN/PRISONERS OF WAR
Spain satisfied with the release by Polisario Front of 100 Moroccan prisoners of War

MADRID, 21/06/04 (SPS) Spain expresses, Tuesday, its satisfaction with Polisario Front unilateral release of 100 Moroccan prisoners of war in response "to mediations undertaken by Irish European Union's presidency" and Spanish Government, reiterating its determination to work for a just and final solution to Western Sahara’s conflict.

In a statement released by Spanish Foreign Affairs Ministry, SPS recieved, "the Spanish Government expresses its satisfaction with Polisario Front declaration of the release of 100 Moroccan prisoners of war under the auspices of the International Red Cross Committee (IRCC), in response to mediations undertaken by Irish European Union's presidency" and to a request of "Spanish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Latino America, Bernardino Leon", presented during his official visit to the refugees' camps in the June the 2nd.

"Spain reiterates its preoccupation with the solution of humanitarian questions resulting of Western Sahara's conflict", especially the question of the 179 Saharawi prisoners of war and the 500 civil disappeared, that Morocco still deny their existence, in addition to the precarious conditions of life of the Saharawi refugees, who are suffering from the lack of humanitarian aid and from exile because of Moroccan military occupation of their country in 1975.

On another hand, the communiqué underlined that "Spain will continue to work with the parties and with the concerned international actors to reach a just and final solution to the conflict" in Western Sahara. (SPS)

060/090/000 221210 June 04 SPS