The President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sanchez, will soon appear before Congress to account for the commitments made with Morocco during the high-level meeting, particularly regarding the Sahara.
The presidents of Ceuta and Melilla are asking the Spanish government to take the necessary steps to integrate the two autonomous cities into the European Union (EU) and its customs union, while maintaining a special tax regime.
The IKEA store in the commercial area located between Tetouan and M’diq, near Ceuta, opened its doors on Tuesday, raising concerns among the residents of the autonomous city who have always deplored the economic blockade of Morocco.
The President of Melilla, Eduardo de Castro, said on Monday that Morocco, which keeps its borders closed, is solely responsible for the situation the autonomous city is experiencing.
In his book titled "Soldados", retired General Juan Carlos Domingo Guerra claims that Spain should prepare to face threats from the south, particularly from Morocco, which claims the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla .
Having started its work last June, the "Temporary Exploratory Mission at the Northern Border Crossings, Operation Marhaba 2022", set up by the Committee on Foreign Affairs, National Defense, Islamic Affairs and Moroccans Residing Abroad of the Parliament, has submitted its report which contains many recommendations aimed at improving the conditions for the passage of Moroccans Residing Abroad (MREs).
On the eve of the High-Level Meeting between Spain and Morocco scheduled for February 1 and 2 in Rabat, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, reiterated the "Spanishness" of Ceuta and Melilla.
Spain has tightened border controls in Ceuta and Melilla for Moroccans, significantly reducing the number of travelers from the kingdom to the autonomous cities.
The president of Vox Ceuta, Juan Sergio Redondo, says he expects nothing positive from the high-level meeting between Spain and Morocco scheduled for February 1 and 2 in Rabat. According to him, Morocco has no intention of renouncing its policy of blockade against Ceuta and Melilla.
A 60-year-old Moroccan woman died on Thursday morning in the "buffer zone" between Spain and Morocco as she was trying to access Melilla to be treated at the Comarcal Hospital in the city. The news was confirmed by Moroccan sources from the border area of Bni Nsar before the local authorities of Melilla confirmed the death.
Former Spanish minister María Antonia Trujillo reiterated her remarks on Ceuta and Melilla which, according to her, should be annexed to Morocco.
After several years of closure, the customs offices of Ceuta and Melilla will reopen on January 23 next , a week before the holding of the high-level Morocco-Spain meeting, scheduled for February 1 and 2 in Rabat.