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Contrary to reports in the Iberian media, Morocco and Spain are indeed in talks regarding the control of Western Sahara's airspace, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares has confirmed. «There's a point in the joint declaration (April 7, 2022) about improving management, and that's what we're doing», Albares told El Periodico de España.
However, he stopped short of explicitly confirming a complete transfer of control to Morocco. «We're talking about improving management, no ambiguity there», he emphasized. Notably, point 7 of the joint declaration only states that «discussions concerning airspace management will be initiated» between the two countries.
For context, in March 2023, the Spanish government, in response to a question from Senator Fernando Clavijo (now President of the Canary Islands), acknowledged that «discussions with Morocco on the concession of control of the airspace of Western Sahara have begun».
Albares reiterated that «negotiations focus on airspace management and coordination for increased security and technical cooperation, as per point 7 of the declaration», but declined to elaborate further.
