Moroccan Sahara: Support of the Netherlands to the Moroccan autonomy plan

The Netherlands expressed on Tuesday 7 April 2026 its support for Morocco’s autonomy plan to resolve the Sahara dispute. This position was expressed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Tom Berendsen, after his meeting in Rabat with the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita.

The Dutch foreign minister said at a press briefing at the end of the meeting that “the Netherlands considers that true autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the most feasible solution” to the Sahara dispute. Berendsen also reaffirmed the Netherlands’ support for UN Security Council Resolution 2797, as well as the efforts of the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General, Staffan de Mistura, to “facilitate and conduct negotiations based on Morocco’s autonomy plan, with a view to achieving a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution.”

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands assured, according to the press statement that “the Netherlands will act in accordance with its position, including at the diplomatic and economic levels, in accordance with international law”.

In the rest of the regional issues, Tom Berendsen said Morocco was “a key strategic partner for the Netherlands, thanks to its close ties with West African countries, the Sahel and the Gulf countries”, in a geopolitical context “marked by high instability”. In this sense, Amsterdam praised Rabat’s “important role” “in favour of development and stability”.

During the talks, the two sides also “longly mentioned the evolution of the geopolitical situation”, while expressing their “deep concern at the escalation of tensions in the Middle East”. In addition, the two officials expressed “concerns about the situation in Gaza and the West Bank.” For them, it is “essential” to remain “attached to the two-state solution”. In this context, Tom Berendsen “welcomed the fruitful cooperation with Morocco during the last session of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, with the Netherlands attaching great importance to the personal commitment of His Majesty King Mohammed VI in his capacity as Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee.”

Beyond geopolitical issues, the meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans residing abroad was an opportunity for both sides to discuss the strengthening of bilateral cooperation in various security, migration and economic fields, the Netherlands being the tenth foreign partner.

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