Edolphus Towns: “while I intend to vote for the Morocco Free Trade Agreement, I want to stress to the administration how important it is…”

“while I intend to vote for the Morocco Free Trade Agreement, I want to stress to the administration how important it is to respect the report language on ``Western Sahara'' which was included in this bill by my colleague, the gentleman from Washington, Mr. McDermott. This language reflects the sentiment voiced in a recent bipartisan letter to the U.S. Trade Representative, Robert Zoellick. Under no circumstances should the U.S. proceed with the implementation of a free trade agreement that does not categorically exclude the territory known as the Western Sahara. The U.S., as well as the international community, does not recognize Morocco's sovereignty over Spain's former colony. Morocco has steadfastly refused any efforts by the United Nations to permit a free and fair referendum on self-determination for the Sahrawi people of Western Sahara. We should not permit Morocco to use the agreement to further its illegal occupation of Western Sahara. I urge the administration to take these concerns seriously and to implement a free trade agreement that does not violate the sovereignty and rights of the people of Western Sahara.”