The Government has issued a statement in which it firmly rejects Morocco’s claims over the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla, which, it recalls, are part of Spain’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and an integral part of the EU territory.
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This has been confirmed by sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hours after the Moroccan Minister of Justice, Abdellatif Ouahbi, reaffirmed yesterday, Friday, that both cities 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 homeland.”
“We will defend our historical and geographical rights, and dialogue channels on this issue,” Ouahbi said in an interview with the public television channel 2M, in which he called to “find a definitive solution” to the current status of Ceuta and Melilla.
The Moroccan Minister of Justice advocated establishing a “dialogue space” with the Spanish authorities to address the “issue” of the two mentioned localities, arguing that “it is not possible to remain silent about it, neither for the good of the future nor for the good of the present.”
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In response to these statements, Foreign Affairs sources replied that “Ceuta and Melilla are two Spanish cities, borders of Spain and the EU. They are part of Spain’s territorial integrity and sovereignty recognized internationally and are equally an integral part of the EU territory. We firmly reject and will reject any different approach regarding Ceuta and Melilla.
This position was clearly conveyed today [meaning late yesterday, Friday] through diplomatic channels.”
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