This Friday, the Spanish Government conveyed to Morocco its “blatant rejection” of that country’s claims regarding the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla, which, it recalls, are part of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Spain and an integral part of the territory of the EU.
This was stated by sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hours after the Moroccan Minister of Justice, Abdellatif Ouahbi, reaffirmed that Ceuta and Melilla constitute a “historical and geographical right” of Morocco and called for the creation of a dialogue mechanism with Spain to address their future and achieve their “return to the heart of the homeland.”
In an interview with the Moroccan public channel 2M, Ouahbi advocated establishing “means of dialogue” with Madrid, including the creation of a “dialogue commission” on this matter, an idea that, he said, “must be kept present, because it is an issue on which one cannot remain silent.”
Following these statements, the Ministry headed by José Manuel Albares has stated in a communication sent to the media: “Ceuta and Melilla are two Spanish border cities of Spain and the EU. They are part of the internationally recognized territorial integrity and sovereignty of Spain and are also an integral part of the territory of the EU.”
“We reject and will categorically reject any different approach regarding Ceuta and Melilla,” adds the note, which concludes by assuring that “this position has been clearly conveyed today through diplomatic channels.”
