Morocco and Chile begin negotiations on a free trade agreement

The Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Monday that Morocco and Chile agreed to begin negotiations on a free trade agreement, following Santiago’s recognition of Rabat’s sovereignty over Western Sahara.

The ministry stated on its website that the foreign ministers of the two countries signed a framework for free trade negotiations on the sidelines of their participation in the United Nations General Assembly in New York, in the presence of Chilean President José Antonio Kast.

According to a joint statement cited by the ministry, Chile expressed its support for the 2025 United Nations Security Council resolution calling on the parties to the Western Sahara dispute to negotiate based on Morocco’s autonomy proposal.

The long-standing dispute over Western Sahara is between Morocco, which considers the territory an integral part of its country, and the Polisario Front, backed by Algeria, which seeks to establish an independent state there.