NEW YORK — Mauritius has expressed support for Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty, describing it as “the most credible solution” to the longstanding regional dispute.

The position was disclosed by Mauritius’ Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Dhananjay Ramful, during talks with Morocco’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Nasser Bourita, on the sidelines of the ongoing 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

According to a statement by Morocco’s Foreign Ministry, Ramful said Mauritius had recently reviewed its position on the Western Sahara issue during a Cabinet meeting following the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2797.

He said Mauritius now viewed the resolution as based on “pragmatism” and considered autonomy for Western Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty as offering “the most realistic, fairest, and most sustainable solution” to the dispute.

“This new position is part of the momentum driven by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, which enshrines autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as the sole and only solution to this artificial regional dispute,” the Moroccan ministry quoted Ramful as saying.

The development followed his meeting with Bourita, during which the two officials discussed the Western Sahara dispute and other areas of bilateral cooperation.

Morocco has promoted its 2007 autonomy proposal as a basis for resolving the dispute, while the United Nations has continued to pursue a negotiated political solution involving the parties. Morocco’s autonomy proposal envisages self-government for the territory under Moroccan sovereignty.

The Western Sahara dispute has remained unresolved for decades, with Morocco controlling most of the territory while the Polisario Front seeks independence.