Paris has flatly denied the rumor circulated by the Algerian News Agency “APS” alleging that there was a new diplomatic “dispute” between France and Morocco and that the dispute was behind the postponement of the French Foreign Minister’s visit to Morocco.

As usual, Algerian newspapers and the pro-Polisario media, which seize every opportunity to harm Morocco, widely circulated the APS “scoop” without bothering to crosscheck the news, as professionally required. All they are interested in is to propagate blindly the propaganda fueled by the Algerian regime.

In its dispatch, APS quoting “knowledgeable sources of relations between the two countries” tried to explain the reasons behind the postponement of the visit of the French Foreign Minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault in Morocco, originally scheduled for July 1 to 3.

According to APS, the postponement is due to Morocco’s “dissatisfaction” because “it did not find the necessary support from Paris in its decision to expel the civilian staff of MINURSO.”

Citing its mysterious sources, APS states that “this umpteenth quarrel reveals a significant change in the position of France vis-à-vis the Western Sahara issue.”

On Saturday, July 2, the spokesman for the French Foreign Ministry, Romain Nadal, denied categorically APS allegations and described the rumors as “unfounded.”

In a statement to the Moroccan News Agency MAP, Romain Nadal explained that it was a “technical postponement, which is in no way due to political problems” and that “it has absolutely nothing to do with the Sahara issue.” He also said that “French-Moroccan relationship is booming” and ruled out any “change in the French position on the Sahara issue.”

Jean-Marc Ayrault’s trip in Morocco would take place later this month. A statement issued on June 30 by the French Foreign Ministry said that “MM. Ayrault and Mezouar (Morocco’s Foreign Minister) agreed during a telephone conversation to set a new date for the visit as soon as possible.”