Daily briefing by Marie Okabe Deputy Spokesperson for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, UN headquarters, New York, June 4, 2007:
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Asked to elaborate on reports on talks, scheduled for 18 June in or near New York, between Morocco and the Frente Prolisario, Okabe recalled that the Security Council in Resolution 1754 on Western Sahara called on the parties to enter into negotiations without preconditions and requested the Secretary-General to set up the talks under UN auspices.
In order to implement the Resolution, Okabe said, the Secretary-General has invited the parties -- Morocco and the Frente Polisario -- along with neighboring countries Algeria and Mauritania, to a meeting in the New York region around 18 June.
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Okabe added that the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Western Sahara, Peter van Walsum, will conduct direct or proximity talks as first step in the process of negotiations, which the Secretary-General hopes will lead to a mutually agreed political solution to the dispute over Western Sahara.
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In response to a further question, the Spokeswoman said that Ban Ki-moon mentioned the holding of the talks in an interview in advance of his planned official visit to Spain, where he is now headed.
