This visit, which coincides with the celebration of the Green March's 46th anniversary, aims to strengthen economic, political, trade and cultural relations between Latin American countries and Morocco.

The objective is to promote exchange and understanding between the Kingdom and Latin American countries, said the President of the Foundation Global Africa Latina, Antonio Yelpi Aguilar, during a meeting with the Wali of the Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra region and Governor of the Laayoune province, Abdeslam Bekrate.

For his part, the Wali reviewed historical stages and recent developments in the Moroccan Sahara issue, stressing that the autonomy plan, under Moroccan sovereignty, remains the only realistic solution to this artificial conflict.

Mr. Bekrate also noted that the Kingdom's last polls, held on September 8, led to the election of legitimate representatives for these provinces at local, regional and national levels, noting that the record turnout of about 70% in these regions reconfirms their attachment to their Moroccanness.

About 4,000 elected officials in this region contribute to the planning and development process in the region, he noted. At the headquarters of the municipality of Laayoune, the visiting delegation learned about the main outlines of the new development model of the southern provinces, launched in 2015 by HM King Mohammed VI.

This development model has changed the image of Morocco's southern provinces through flagship projects, the president of the communal council of Laayoune, Moulay Hamdi Ould Errachid, commended.

In this respect, he cited the Tiznit-Dakhla expressway, sea water desalination plants, dams, renewable energy facilities, urban planning, the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutics, in addition to the Dakhla-Atlantic port.

Mr. Ould Errachid also recalled the huge investments made by the State since the recovery of the Moroccan Sahara after the Green March in 1975, in order to promote the living conditions of the population and accelerate the pace of economic growth in the southern regions.

For their part, the members of the Latin American delegation presented the experiences of their countries in regionalization and decentralization.

The delegation accompanying the president of the Global Africa Latina Foundation is composed of Carlos Romero Bonifaz, Bolivian presidential advisor, Juan Bartolomé Burgo, Peruvian MP and Miguel Vargas Mendoza, Mexican MP.

On Wednesday, they had met in Rabat with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rachid Talbi Alami, to discuss the means to strengthen relations between the Moroccan parliament and its Latin American counterparts.