Spain Takes Firm Stance on Maritime Border Disputes with Morocco and Algeria

Before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Spanish Senate, González Laya spoke about the maritime dispute between Spain and Algeria during the presentation of the report on the new action strategy, reports the Spanish agency EFE. "The time has not come to delimit the maritime waters and even less so in areas where there are overlaps," as is the case with Algeria, she said.

"But when it comes, we will be firm in defending the principles of the United Nations," added the Spanish minister. According to the UN, if there are two countries claiming maritime sovereignty over the same area, "there can be no unilateralism but negotiation," she explained, assuring that "this is the agreement that Spain has concluded with Algeria and Morocco".

Last December, the question of the delimitation of Morocco’s Atlantic maritime borders had provoked new tensions between the kingdom and Spain following the vote on two bills. Spanish political parties, as well as officials such as the president of the autonomous government of the Canary Islands, had accused Morocco of wanting to "encroach on the waters of the Canary Islands".