Ecuador has taken a fresh step in its relationship with Rabat, publicly reaffirming its full support for Morocco’s sovereignty over the Moroccan Sahara. The announcement came Monday in Rabat, at the close of talks between the two countries’ top diplomats.
In a joint statement issued after the meeting between Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, and his Ecuadorian counterpart, Quito described the autonomy initiative Morocco put forward in 2007 as a serious, credible and realistic path toward a just and lasting political settlement acceptable to all parties.
The statement went further, describing autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as the most workable solution to the long-running regional dispute over the Sahara. The position adds Ecuador’s voice to a growing list of countries worldwide that have moved in recent months to back Rabat’s proposal as the only serious basis for negotiation.
Beyond the diplomatic gesture, Quito signaled that it intends to turn its stance into concrete bilateral steps in the coming months. Ecuador’s ambassador accredited to the Kingdom is expected to visit the southern provinces, while Ecuador will maintain consular coverage across the whole of Moroccan territory, including the Sahara. Moroccan officials welcomed the announcement as a strong signal of mutual trust between the two nations.
Ecuador also expressed readiness to widen economic and trade cooperation with Morocco’s southern provinces, exploring investment and productive-development opportunities. Such openings would let Ecuadorian businesses reach African markets more easily through Morocco, which is increasingly positioning itself as a logistical and commercial gateway to the continent.
The overture underscores both countries’ ambition to broaden a partnership that is no longer confined to diplomacy alone. It now extends into trade, investment and consular affairs, further cementing a wave of Latin American backing for Morocco’s territorial integrity at a moment when the Sahara dossier is seeing major diplomatic developments on the international stage.
For Morocco, every fresh recognition of this kind strengthens the legitimacy of its autonomy plan, put forward nearly two decades ago as the only serious framework for a definitive resolution of the regional dispute.
