SAHARA PRESS SERVICE

Washington D.C, 24/07/2004 (SPS) "The United States and many other countries do not recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara", consequently, US-Morocco Free Trade Agreement (FTA) " will not include Western Sahara ", affirmed United States Trade Representative, Robert B. Zoellick, in a letter he addressed to Congressman, Joseph R. Pitts, answering the latter's questions relative to the legality of including the Saharawi territory in this FTA.

"The Administration's position on Western Sahara is clear: sovereignty of Western Sahara is in dispute, and the United States fully supports the United Nations' effort to resolve this issue", underlined the American trade representative, in the text, of which SPS received a copy.

"The FTA will cover trade and investment in the territory of Morocco as recognized internationally, and will not include Western Sahara", he emphasised, adding that the American Administration will draft the proclamation authorized in the legislation implementing the FTA to "treat imports from Western Sahara and Morocco differently".

Polisario Front's representative to USA, Mouloud Saaid, considered that this position of American congress is "a new victory to Saharawi people and to international legality", what demonstrate "a clear rejection of the colonial fait accompli Morocco is trying to impose".

"On behalf of the Saharawi people, I express my deepest thanks to the USA representatives Chamber, especially to the many congressmen who effectively acted in defence of Saharawi people interests and who denounced Moroccan occupation of the territory and its plundering of the Saharawi natural resources", he added. (SPS)

010/090/000/TRD 241820 July 04 SPS

SPS
USA/MOROCCO/SADR/TRADE
The US- Morocco Free Trade Accord does not include Western Sahara, emphasises American Congress

Washington, 24/07/2004 (SPS) The US- Morocco Free Trade Accord (FTA) recently adopted by American Congress pointed out that Western Sahara is not included in this accord since it is not a part of Moroccan territory as recognised by the United States of America, according to a document the Congress adopted Thursday.

In a report adopted during plenary session, of which SPS received a copy, the Congress underlined that the US-Morocco FTA "covers trade with and investment in the territory of Morocco as recognized by the United States, which does not currently include the Western Sahara ".

"The Frente POLISARIO applauds this unequivocal position (...)which is clearly in consonance with the principles of international legality", declared the Minister-Delegate to Europe, Mohamed Sidati, indicating that Western Sahara's status is defined as "a Non-Self-Governing Territory still to be decolonised", and consequently, Morocco, "which is being illegally occupied by Morocco who consequently, has no sovereignty whatsoever over the Territory".

"The significance of this position is derived from the fact that it comes at a time when Morocco is seeking relentlessly to legitimise and strengthen its illegal occupation of Western Sahara by offering and signing of contracts with foreign companies, which involve the exploration and exploitation of the natural resources of the Territory", added the Minster.
 
Moreover he recalled that the Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs pointed out, in his verdict issued in January 2002, that "any exploration and exploitation of the natural resources in Western Sahara will be in violation of the international law principles applicable to Non-Self-Governing Territories".

"The Frente POLISARIO would like to seize on this opportunity to call upon all countries and national or multinational corporations to abide by the principles of international legality applicable to the occupied Western Sahara, and to refrain from engaging in any activity, whatever is its nature, that may directly or indirectly involve the Saharawi occupied territories", he said.

He insisted in reminding all European countries, which has association accords with Morocco, to make sure that whatever transaction it engages in with this country "be strictly carried out within the latter’s internationally recognised borders, and must in no way involve the occupied territories of Western Sahara".

Finally he called all European Bodies to adopt a position of clear backing of the United Nation's efforts in Western Sahara, "particularly the UN Peace Plan that aims at achieving a democratic, peaceful, and lasting solution to the conflict by means of enabling the Saharawi people to exercise its inalienable and internationally recognised right to self-determination". (SPS)

010/090/100/TRD 241055 July 04 SPS