US Secretary of State Marco Rubio affirmed today, Tuesday, Washington’s recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Moroccan Sahara and its support for Morocco’s serious, credible, and realistic autonomy proposal as the sole basis for a just and lasting resolution to the conflict.

US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement that this came during a meeting Rubio held with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, at the State Department headquarters in Washington.

Rubio stressed that the United States "continues to believe that genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the only possible solution."

He reaffirmed President Donald Trump’s call for both parties to engage in discussions without delay, using Morocco’s autonomy proposal as the sole framework for negotiating a mutually acceptable solution.

Rubio added that the United States would facilitate progress toward an agreement on the autonomy proposal for the Moroccan Sahara, which Rabat presented in 2007.

In the statement, Bruce said that Rubio and Bourita emphasized the strong partnership between the United States and Morocco in promoting peace and security under the leadership of US President Donald Trump and Morocco’s King Mohammed VI.

The US and Moroccan foreign ministers also discussed cooperation to advance shared priorities in the region by expanding trade relations in ways that benefit both Americans and Moroccans.