Rabat, 05/06/2007 (Agence Europe) - The German minister for foreign affairs, Günter Gloser, who was visiting Rabat on Monday, welcomed the efforts deployed by the UN for resolving the conflict in the Western Sahara. Direct talks between Morocco and the pro-Algerian movement, Polisario, have been announced for 18 June near New York. “We welcome the initiative taken by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to organise direct talks between the parties concerned”, said Mr Gloser. He made a positive judgement, moreover, of the proposal for autonomy presented by Morocco for the Western Sahara. Mr Gloser, whose country holds the EU presidency, also said that discussions with Morocco's prime minister, Driss Jettou, covered the “possibility of strengthening cooperation between the European Union and the Mediterranean rim countries in the light of the proposal made in this respect by the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy”. (See EUROPE 9434). (fb)