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The debate on transferring control of Saharan airspace to Morocco has been revived in Spain. On condition of anonymity, sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, in response to a question from an Iberian media outlet, that they had «no news to pass on» regarding this subject.
The same caution was noted in the response from the public company ENAIRE, which manages air navigation in Spain under the supervision of the Ministry of Transport. The company states that «it is not taking any action or participating in any negotiations on the transfer of air navigation services from Western Sahara airspace to Morocco». It adds that «foreign policy is not its responsibility».
The debate on this subject was revived following a statement by Senator Javier Armas, a member of a small party in the Canary Islands and close to the Polisario. He claimed that «Spain has decided to cede Saharan airspace to Morocco on the sly».
For the record, Spain's Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, had stated that Morocco and Spain were currently negotiating control of Western Sahara's airspace. «There is a point in the joint declaration (of April 7, 2022, editor's note) which is public and concerns the improvement of management, and this is what we are doing». Point 7 of the Moroccan-Spanish Joint Declaration reads that «discussions concerning airspace management will be initiated» between the two countries.
