The draft laws adopted by Morocco regarding its territorial waters in the Sahara «do not affect» the interests of Spain and the borders will be «mutually agreed» on with the country. This was stated last week by the Spanish Foreign Minister, Alfonso Dastis.
Dastis, quoted by EFE news agency, reacted to announcement made by El Othmani’s government which approved three draft laws that delimits the maritime boundaries between the Canary Islands and Western Sahara.
During a press conference at an event in the Canary Islands, the minister said that «this legislative amendment is only a technical adjustment resulting from the need to update the Moroccan rules in this matter, In order to comply with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea».
The president of the local government, Fernando Clavijo, had solicited the minister on this issue at a previous meeting. The Minister has thus been reassuring the local government in the Canary Islands. «The response of the minister reassured us», said Fernando Clavijo.
On Thursday, in a government council meeting, the executive announced the adoption of three texts relating to the maritime domain in the Sahara. They aim to «include maritime space facing the coast of the Sahara in the national legal arsenal, to cement Moroccan legal guardianship over these waters and to block the way for all allegations calling into question the sovereignty of the kingdom» Government spokesman Mustapha El Khalfi declared during a press conference on Thursday.