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Morocco, the powerful neighbor of the South, always wants to remind Spain of its strategic importance and the threat that a deterioration of bilateral relations can pose for our country. After the election of a new Government of Spain with full powers, the Alawi kingdom will once again challenge the Pedro Sánchez Executive with the approval of two bills that extend the Moroccan territorial waters to the Canary Islands.

There is concern in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about a possible worsening of relations, as they recognize from this department. Almost a year ago of the state visit that the Kings made to Morocco. Since then, when numerous bilateral agreements were signed, the relationship has been excellent, the same sources point out.

Morocco has stopped illegal immigration - after opening the door during the beginning of Pedro Sánchez's first term - and has maintained close anti-terrorism cooperation. However, Morocco always bets on loosening on the one hand and pressing on the other in its relationship with Spain: since August 2018, the Melilla border is closed. And the African government refuses to solve this dispute. Now, threaten to open another.

The Plenary Session of the Lower Chamber of the Moroccan Parliament will approve on Wednesday two bills that extend territorial waters and create an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 200 miles that clashes with which the Spanish Executive for the Canary Islands aspires to obtain. In addition, the initiative of the Moroccan Government has been taken without consulting Spain.

In December, both projects were approved in commission. Then, the acting minister, Margarita Robles, contacted the Moroccan Government to warn her that Spain would oppose a change in the maritime borders that was not made by consensus. This was made public by the president of the Canary Islands, also the socialist Ángel Víctor Torres.

Morocco then stopped the projects. But now he has decided to put them back on track, just as Sanchez's new Government starts, after the investiture of the beginning of the month.

Morocco is the main strategic partner of Spain outside the EU. Relations with this country are always one of the main concerns of Spanish foreign policy.

In fact, the new Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arancha González Laya, will travel to the Alawí State on Friday, which will be her first bilateral visit abroad, thus giving first-order rank to relations with Morocco.

Ministry sources explain to EL MUNDO that this new dispute "will be on the table." The minister will transfer to the Moroccan Government that Spain opposes any modification of the maritime borders that is not made with the consensus of both countries.

The same sources add that Spain and Morocco agree that "any measure must respect the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea that both countries have ratified, as well as international law."

Canary alarm

The Moroccan movement has caused deep concern in the Canary Islands. The regional president, Ángel Víctor Torres, spoke this week with Foreign Minister Arancha González Laya. Both have agreed on a "clear defense" of the Spanish waters against Morocco, according to sources familiar with these conversations.

Canary Coalition, for its part, has asked the Executive to raise a complaint before the United Nations before the decision of Morocco. In a statement, the nationalist coalition indicates that Spain will "violate its waters" with this "unilateral" decision of Morocco that "does not conform to international law." "It must be the United Nations that resolves this issue," he says.

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  • Morocco
  • Arancha González Laya
  • Canary Islands
  • Melilla
  • Ceuta
  • Spain
  • Un
  • Margarita Robles
  • Canary Coalition
  • Pedro Sanchez

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