Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein)
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237. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the interactions his Department has had with the visiting delegation from the Polisario Front of Western Sahara during their visit and if his Department is open to maintaining future communications with representatives of the Polisario Front. [52471/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Representatives of the Polisario Front visited Ireland from 12th to 14th October 2022. On 13th October, the delegation met with officials from the Middle East and North Africa Unit of the Department of Foreign Affairs. Officials welcomed the opportunity to hear perspectives on the current situation in Western Sahara and the upcoming renewal of the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara.

In line with the UN position, Ireland recognises Western Sahara as a non-self-governing territory and engages with the Polisario Front as a legitimate party to a territorial dispute. In this context, Ireland recognises the value of ongoing communication with all parties, in the spirit of achieving ‘a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self determination of the people of Western Sahara’ as called for in UN Security Council Resolutions.