Morocco reassures Spain on their maritime delimitation issue

The pending maritime delimitations between Spain and Morocco were not discussed during the recent visit of the Spanish Foreign affairs minister to Rabat. 

The Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, assured, Thursday during a press briefing with his counterpart, Jose Manuel Albares, that Rabat will not take «unilateral measures or surprise action» when it comes to its maritime borders in the Atlantic waters, Iberian media reported.

«Morocco has always considered that what motivates us to strengthen our collaboration is stronger than what could lead us to differences or conflicts», Bourita said. The diplomat stressed the importance of «dialogue, consensus and the values of mutual respect» in order to reach a compromise on this issue. «Our relationship is based on mutual respect, it is a fundamental point, and it is what allows us to act together to achieve our common objectives», he said.

Following the meeting on April 7, 2022, in Rabat between King Mohammed VI and Spanish Head of Government Pedro Sanchez, Morocco and Spain agreed to reactivate the working group on maritime delimitations, with the objective of «making concrete progress». Created in 2001, the body held its first meeting in October 2005.

On March 30, 2020, Morocco published the laws establishing its sovereignty over its entire maritime domain. The first text n°37.17 amends and completes the Dahir on law n°1.73.211 of March 2, 1973, delimitating territorial waters. The second text n°38.17 amends and supplements law n°1.81 establishing an exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles off the Moroccan coast.

However, the delimitation of the economic zone is absent from the Royal Dahir n°1.20.02 of March 6, 2020. The legislator specified that the delimitation of maritime borders will be «in accordance with the Montego Bay Convention signed on December 10, 1982, and having been the subject of Dahir n°1.04.134 of May 23, 2008», thus postponing this mission to the next publication of an «organic law».