A recent report by the Spanish news outlet El Independiente stated “Spain’s Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, refused to provide any updates on the ongoing negotiations regarding the transfer of the Sahara airspace to Morocco.”
The same source mentioned that a written response to Javier Armas, a senator from the Agrupación Herrereña Independiente party, confirmed this stance after Armas sought clarification from Albares following reports about the handover of airspace management.
It highlighted that Armas raised concerns that “the government may be finalizing the decision to cede the provision of Air Traffic Services (ATS) for the Western Sahara airspace to Morocco, under the absurd excuse that we’re not transferring the airspace itself, but merely the ATS service.”
In response to the senator’s inquiry, El Independiente argued that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dodged the issue by only stating, “the Spanish Government refers to the intervention of Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union, and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares Bueno, before the full session of the Congress of Deputies in response to the oral question numbered 180/000444 (Does the Government foresee ceding sovereignty managed by Spain in the Western Sahara to Morocco?) during the control session on December 18, 2024.”
During the Congress session referenced in the response, Albares rejected accusations from Jon Iñarritu, a deputy of the Basque pro-independence party EH Bildu, regarding the transfer of airspace control in the Sahara to Morocco.
Iñarritu had raised concerns during a session in Parliament, suggesting the move was part of a political maneuver that Albares dismissed as “hoaxes” and urged Iñarritu to avoid advancing “strange theories” linked to the opposition Popular Party (PP).
Albares, however, defended the move, emphasizing that Spain and Morocco operate under a “clear and transparent roadmap.”
El Independiente reported that “for Armas, this reflects the government’s lack of transparency regarding the ongoing negotiations, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged over a year ago.”
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