Morocco

Morocco and the Polisario Western Sahara independence movement agreed to continue talks after exchanging views in a UN-hosted two-day informal gathering in Austria, a UN envoy said on Aug. 11. Christopher Ross, the UN's mediator in the conflict, said after concluding the meeting in the Austrian town of Duernstein that he would arrange as soon as possible another round of talks aimed at unblocking the 34-year-old dispute. "The discussions took place in an atmosphere of serious engagement, frankness, and mutual respect," Ross said of the talks in a statement emailed by the UN. (Reuters)