Spain’s Sánchez Seeks to Mend Morocco Ties with Potential Airspace Concessions

According to information from Okdiario, a site generally hostile to Morocco and Moroccans in Spain, this attempt at rapprochement follows a previous missed appointment, marked by the absence of King Mohamed VI. This time, Madrid hopes for a meeting between the two leaders, although Rabat conditions its reception on major concessions, particularly on the management of the airspace of the Sahara.

Sources close to the file claim that the personal commitment of the King of Morocco would be an essential prerequisite for the announcement and success of this visit. The stakes are therefore high, both for bilateral relations and for the international image of the two countries.

The role of José Manuel Albares, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, in the preparations, testifies to the importance of this mission, the same source believes. His visit to Rabat a few days ago was aimed at finalizing the last details and understanding Moroccan expectations. Morocco, for its part, seems determined to obtain control over the Sahara, a strategic issue for the country.

The Spanish government has acknowledged in the Senate the possibility of transferring this air control to Rabat. Such a decision would "open the doors of Dar al-Makhzen, the luxurious royal palace of Morocco where Mohamed VI resides," writes the same source. This concession is far from trivial, as the Sahara constitutes a vital air corridor between Europe and South America.

Spain has long managed this space from the Canary Islands air traffic control center, a responsibility framed by ICAO international standards. But the possible cession of this control to Morocco would mark a turning point, placing Rabat in a position of strength in the region, concludes the same source.