Moroccan authorities have said they are considering a boycott of Swedish companies over Sweden's position on the disputed territory of Western Sahara.
According to Reuters, the Moroccan government said in a statement on Thursday: "We are heading toward a boycott of Swedish companies according the principle of reciprocity after similar campaigns to boycott Moroccan companies."
However, a spokesperson for the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the country does not have any boycotts in place against Moroccan exports.
Earlier this week Moroccan authorities blocked the opening of an Ikea store. Local media reported that the block came as a reprisal for Sweden's position on Western Sahara.
There are no further details on how and when the boycott will take place. Morocco's communication minister and government spokesman, Mustapha Khalfi, told Reuters, "We are considering it, but we hope Sweden would review its position on the Moroccan Sahara."
Western Sahara, is a disputed region located to the south of Morocco that both the Moroccan government and the breakaway Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) lay claim to. Morocco controls the western coastal region while the SADR hold the east.
In 2011 the Swedish parliament voted to recognise Western Sahara, though the government rejected the motion.
In a statement sent to Newsweek, Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Margot Wallström said: "The issue of Sweden's entire policy on Western Sahara is the subject of an internal review. The government does not want to preempt this examination. Therefore, the issue of recognition is currently not on the table, which Prime Minister Stefan Löfven also made clear in March 2015."
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