The European Commission has approved a proposal to open talks with Rabat on a new fisheries agreement. The announcement was made Tuesday in Madrid by the European Commissioner for Fisheries, Costas Kadis.
Addressing a Joint Committee of the Spanish Congress and Senate on the European Union, Mr. Kadis stressed the importance of the move in strengthening cooperation between the European bloc and Morocco in the fisheries sector.
The EU decision to open negotiations with Morocco on new fisheries accord comes two weeks after the UN Security Council adopted historic resolution 2797 endorsing Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Sahara under the Kingdom’s sovereignty. This means that Brussels is tuning its position to the UN Security Council decision on the Sahara.
The EU is also sending Morocco a strong signal of its willingness to advance its partnership based on the recognition of the Kingdom’s legitimate rights, full sovereignty over its entire Saharan territory and strategic regional role.
Last month, the European Union has renewed a farming trade deal with Morocco including the Sahara products. Rabat has always affirmed that it will never accept a commercial deal that does not respect its territorial integrity and national unity.