Morocco Reaffirms Maritime Border Laws, Defying Spanish Concerns

These two draft laws concern the delimitation of Moroccan maritime borders and the exclusive economic zone approved in committee. They will be adopted in plenary session, contrary to information about their suspension.

Even if this sovereign decision of Morocco has provoked many comments and concerns in Spain, Morocco does not intend to go back on its decision because it is in its "sovereign right and does not seek to exceed the limits defined by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea...", diplomatic sources indicate. "The kingdom has decided to delimit its borders like other countries but is not seeking to impose a fait accompli and remains open to any dialogue with Spain," the same sources specify.

According to these same sources, the Kingdom will adopt the median line in the delimitation of its maritime borders with Algeria, except that technically, the problem is more complicated with Spain. Within the framework of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, several countries, including Spain, Portugal, Mauritania, Senegal and Cape Verde, have submitted reports to the United Nations to delimit their borders, it is pointed out.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Nasser Bourita, had presented these two draft laws to Parliament. These projects aim to delimit the exclusive zone (200 miles) off the coasts of the southern provinces of Morocco and to incorporate it into the national legal arsenal.