Rabat, Morocco - The UK became the latest country to support Morocco's position in the controversial Western Sahara on Sunday, calling on its plan to keep Moroccan control under Morocco's control "is the "most credible, feasible and pragmatic" way to resolve decades of conflict.

British Foreign Minister David Lammy said at a joint press conference in the Moroccan capital that the UK is changing its position to support Morocco's plan to provide limited autonomy to the region under Moroccan sovereignty. He and Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita praised the two countries' links on security and trade, noting that Morocco is co-host of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

“The time to solve this problem and move it forward is long-term and will strengthen the stability of North Africa,” Rami said.

He also reiterated his support for the UN-led process and called on Morocco to “expand the details of autonomy within the Moroccan state”.

Western Sahara is a coastal desert strip rich in phosphate and fish, and in the past 50 years of disputes, the United Nations considers it to be a "non-autonomous field." This is claimed by Morocco and Polisario, an intimate group operating in refugee camps in southwestern Algeria.

This shift achieved one of Morocco's main foreign policy goals and made the United Kingdom the third permanent member of the UN Security Council in support of the position that followed France and the United States. Since 1991, the United Nations has been carrying out peacekeeping missions, aiming to hold a referendum to determine the status of disputed territories, all under Morocco's control, except for a small snowboard near the Algerian border.

After years of conflict, the region has recently become a hot spot for investment, attracting European and American companies interested in fishing, agriculture and infrastructure projects that will allow wind and solar energy to spread. As negotiations stagnated, Morocco made substantial investments in the region and sought support from trading partners. Polisario has fought against the International Court of Justice, believing that Morocco has no right to belong to the resources of the people of Salavi while the conflict remains unresolved.

These countries exchange billions of dollars worth of cars, fruits and vegetables. The two are working with Xlinks, a renewable energy storage and transmission project whose backers hope to power millions of homes in the UK.

The UK’s turnaround has angered Morocco’s regional rival Algeria, which blew up Morocco’s plans in a statement on Sunday, “without content, it cannot contribute to a serious and credible solution to the conflict.”

Polisario Front representatives did not answer questions about the UK's position.