Answering journalists' questions during a press conference at the ministry's headquarters on current issues relating to foreign policy, Mr. Attaf said that the President of the Republic had been informed in advance of the French approach by his French counterpart, who attempted to justify this decision during their meeting on June 13 in Bari (Italy) on the sidelines of the G7 meeting.
Read also: Resolution of the conflict in Western Sahara: the EU's position remains "unchanged"
On this occasion, Mr. Attaf considered that the various data and arguments put forward by the French president to justify the change he was preparing, had not brought anything new, especially since it is a reminder of the French position already expressed in 2007 during the presentation of the autonomy plan by the Moroccan kingdom.
This approach is likely to "contribute to the revival of the political process for the settlement of the conflict in Western Sahara, according to the justifications of the French president who also stressed that France remained faithful to its commitments and its obligations to support the efforts of the Secretary General (SG) of the UN and to support the efforts of his personal envoy".
Describing the response of the President of the Republic as "firm, resolute and precise", Mr. Attaf indicated that the President of the Republic considered that "the new French position is only a reproduction of the positions expressed previously, or even goes far beyond them, because it considers the autonomy plan as the exclusive basis for the settlement of the conflict in Western Sahara, expressly recognizing the alleged +Moroccanness of Western Sahara+ and clearly including the present and future of Western Sahara within the framework of the alleged Moroccan sovereignty".
As a first measure, Mr. Attaf emphasizes, Algeria has decided, therefore, to reduce its diplomatic representation in France, by withdrawing its ambassador to the French Republic, with immediate effect, and by entrusting the Algerian diplomatic representation in France, henceforth, to a chargé d'affaires in accordance with international traditions and customs, to express the Algerian denunciation of the approach of the French authorities.
"We will take the necessary measures to express our rejection of the dangerous French approach, which threatens the stability of the region and undermines the efforts deployed, in this situation, to achieve a peaceful and political solution to the question of Western Sahara."
To a question about the visit that was planned by the President of the Republic to France, the Minister affirmed that "all conclusions will be drawn in the framework of the preparation of the response to the approach undertaken by France", adding that "the state visit that was planned will be part, without a doubt, within the framework of these conclusions". "I will not be surprised if I say that the French decision has not contributed positively to the realization of this visit, given the dangerous consequences that arise from the French decision which is capable of compromising not only the peaceful and political resolution of the issue, but also the security and stability of the region".
Furthermore, the minister said he was surprised that France had chosen this moment to announce its decision, especially since the situation is undergoing changes that should allow the United Nations to relaunch, via its special envoy to Western Sahara, the peace process in the region, adding that the UN is working to reactivate the mechanism for relaunching peace negotiations between the parties to the conflict, Morocco and the Polisario Front.