France Declines Mediator Role in Spain-Morocco Diplomatic Tensions

"It is not up to France to mediate between Morocco and Spain, two sovereign countries... We are counting on the two countries to overcome this difficult period in a serene manner and through constructive dialogue," Le Drian said at a joint press conference on Friday with the now former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arancha González Laya. France maintains "excellent relations with both countries", but it is "in solidarity" with Spain, a member of the EU like it, adds the French head of diplomacy, who announces that his country will take over the rotating presidency of the EU in the first half of 2022 and will place the migration issue at the heart of its mandate.

To read: France Seeks to Mediate Morocco-Spain Border Crisis, Foreign Minister Says

When asked whether the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs had ordered the air force agents not to submit the passengers of the Algerian official plane carrying the leader of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, to passport control, González Laya maintained that "all the protocols in force provided for in the case of official flights arriving in Spain have been followed". Ministry sources explained a few days ago that this is a "usual protocol", a simple "diplomatic courtesy" in Spain and in many other countries.