Morocco wants enclaves back
2002-09-15 15:14
New York - Morocco's Foreign Affairs Minister Mohammed Benaissa on Saturday called on Spain to return Ceuta and Melilla in North Africa to Moroccan sovereignty.
Benaissa made the call for the "recovery of these parts of its
national territory which are occupied by Spain" ahead of a
September 23 meeting in Madrid with his Spanish counterpart Ana
Palacio.
"In doing so, Morocco expressed its readiness to engage in
dialogue to arrive at a solution that guarantees the sovereign
rights of Morocco and secure the interest of the Spanish community in those regions," the minister said during the United Nations' 57th General Assembly.
Relations between Morocco and Spain have deteriorated in the
past year, with the recall by both nations of their respective
ambassadors.
They are involved in litigation over a series of issues
including fishing, oil exploration near the Canary Islands, illegal immigration and the Western Sahara conflict.
Matters came to a head in July over the Mediterranean islet
Perejil/Leila off the Moroccan coast, when a dozen Moroccan
soldiers occupied it, then the Spanish army evicted them.
Sapa-AFP
- SAPA