Mali backs Moroccan autonomy plan for Western Sahara at UN session

Mali has reaffirmed its support for Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara. During a meeting in New York on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly, Mali's Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop stated that granting autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the only realistic and credible basis for resolving the dispute. Bolivia is establishing a diplomatic mission in Rabat. Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and Bolivian Foreign Minister Hector Francisco Huanca Gutierrez announced the opening of an embassy, alongside a trade office in Dakhla to facilitate the entry of Bolivian goods into African markets. Preliminary results of Morocco's parliamentary elections place the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) in first place, according to Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftita. Voter turnout in southern provinces exceeded the national average, reaching 80.17% in Aousserd and 79.52% in El Aaiún.