Spain Vows to Defend Canary Islands’ Interests in Morocco Talks

The head of Spanish diplomacy thus responded before Congress to the question of deputy Pedro Quevedo of Nueva Canarias, who criticized the government’s "very weak reaction" to Moroccan claims on the "territorial waters of the Canary Islands", also demanding that the government reverse its decision to support the Moroccan autonomy plan for the Sahara.

"The Canary Islands are at the heart of our relationship with Morocco and I assure you that I devote a significant part of my time to them," Albares replied, who will accompany Sanchez during his visit to Rabat this Thursday. The minister assured that the Moroccan and Spanish governments are working to harmonize the delimitation of their territorial waters, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

For the record, the Moroccan parliament had adopted, in early 2020, two laws delimiting Moroccan territorial waters up to 12 miles and the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 200 miles from its coasts. A delimitation that seemed to encroach on Spanish territorial waters in the Canary Islands.

Regarding Spain’s position on the Sahara, Albares reiterated that a "mutually acceptable" solution by the parties and "within the framework of the United Nations" must be found to this conflict, recalling Pedro Sanchez’s choice to support the Moroccan autonomy plan considered as the "most serious, credible and realistic" solution to this long-lasting conflict. "The Spanish position is in line with that of other countries such as France or Germany," he argued.