Spanish FM Albares allays Canaries' concerns over Morocco's southern naval manoeuvres

Following serious concerns over Morocco’s decision to carry out naval maneuvers off the Sahara, Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jose Manuel Albares, informed President of the Canary Islands Fernando Clavijo that these military exercises are taking place in clearly demarcated areas, and at a considerable distance from Spanish waters.

“The Moroccan maneuvers are taking place in clearly delineated areas a long way from Spanish waters”, the head of the Canary Islands’ naval forces, Fernando Clavijo, said on Monday. Spain’s head of diplomacy, José Manuel Albares, asserted on Monday during a telephone conversation with the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo.

In the course of their exchange, the conversation centered on the dynamic between Spain and Morocco, with one of the main concerns being the recent Moroccan naval maneuvers. Albares’ clarification allayed the regional president’s concerns.

Albares and Clavijo agreed on the importance for Spain and the Canary Islands of maintaining their positive relationship with Morocco, stressing that issues as crucial as the question of irregular immigration depend on it.

The maneuvers began last Friday and will run for three months, from March 29 to June 28, along the coast between the cities of Agadir and Dakhla, passing through Sidi Ifni and Laâyoune.

These military exercises, located on the coast of the Sahara 125 kilometers off the Canary Islands, have prompted complaints from the autonomous government of the Canary Islands.

In a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fernando Clavijo voiced his concerns about the “unilateral” maneuvers by the Royal Moroccan Navy, requesting further clarification.

For their part, the Canarian parliamentarians were critical of Morocco, arguing that it should have informed the Spanish and Canarian authorities of its maneuvers, in accordance with the principles of transparency and good neighborliness.

This is how this telephone exchange came about, initially scheduled to take place in person, but forced to take place remotely due to the obligations of the Canarian President.

However, this criticism seems to obscure the fact that Spain does not systematically notify Morocco of its own military or naval maneuvers.

Moreover, it should be noted that Rabat is under no obligation to inform anyone of military exercises carried out within the framework of its territorial sovereignty. According to expert Gabriel Cortina, of the defense think-tank “Article 30″, Morocco ” may conduct any military maneuvers it deems appropriate ” in its waters, which are under its sovereignty.

In a statement to Spanish media outlet ABC, Cortina stressed that on the international stage, ” a sovereign state can carry out whatever maneuvers it wants, whenever it wants”. and is therefore not required to seek prior authorization.