The statement was made by China's Ambassador to the UN and current President of the UNSC, Guangya Wang, following a closed-door session on the Sahara issue.

"The members of the Security Council support the agreement by the parties that negotiations will continue in the second week of August under United Nations auspices and express their hope the parties will use the next round of negotiations to engage in good faith in substantial negotiations on the way forward in accordance with resolution 1754," the official told the press.

He also noted that "the members of the Security Council are very pleased that the parties and States of the region agreed to meet on 18 and 19 June."

They "welcome" the report of the UN Secretary-General, Ban ki-moon, of 29 June 2007 on the status and progress of the negotiations on Western Sahara, Mr. Wang added, noting that they "reaffirm their strong support for the efforts of the SG and his Personal Envoy (Peter Van Walsum) to implement the resolution 1754, issued on April 30.

Morocco and the Algerian-backed Polisario separatists are disputing control of the Sahara, Morocco’s Southern Provinces. The former Spanish colony was ceded to Morocco in 1975 under the Madrid Accord. Since then the Polisario separatists lay claims to this territory and hold thousands of Moroccans against their will in the Tindouf camps (south west Algeria).

The first round of negotiations on the Sahara was held in Manhasset in accordance with the UNSG resolution 1754 that called upon the parties concerned to enter into negotiations “in good faith and without preconditions." These parties have agreed to resume talks in Manhasset in the second week of August.