Morocco appeals to its “promising” fishing agreement with Russia after the “unjustifiable” CJEU ruling

MADRID 7 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Government of Morocco has recalled after the “unjustifiable” ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) on fishing and trade agreements that it is working to “diversify” its international alliances, which has allowed, for example, a recent extension of a fishing pact signed with Russia and with a “promising” future, according to Rabat.

This agreement with Russia “covers the southern provinces”, according to Moroccan diplomatic sources who insist on the “Moroccanness” of Western Sahara and on the “dynamic of international support” for the autonomy plan presented in 2007 by King Mohamed VI for the former Spanish colony.

In this sense, they have pointed out that “with or without” the CJEU this dynamic “continues its course”, as demonstrated by the recent endorsement of France or the change of position of Spain in which it is established that the Moroccan autonomy plan for the Sahara is “the most serious, realistic and credible basis” to resolve the conflict.

The European court ruled on the annulment of the EU-Morocco trade and fishing agreements after understanding that Rabat did not have the express consent of the Sahrawi population, represented in the Polisario Front. However, according to Moroccan sources, the CJEU “is wrong to think that the Sahara issue will be resolved before it.”

“The question of the Sahara is a regional conflict, which is resolved only within the framework of a UN process,” they have pointed out, alluding to the negotiation path opened by the special envoy Staffan de Mistura, who precisely met in last week with representatives of both the Government of Morocco and the Polisario Front.

Said dialogue remains stagnant, since neither of the two parties have moved from their positions. The Polisario does not contemplate Rabat’s autonomy plan and instead claims the right of self-determination of Western Sahara.