The Diplomat in Spain

River Miño, border between Spain and Portugal./ Photo: Pirineísta/Flickr

The Diplomat. 12/08/2018

Spain and Portugal today open their new border lines along the rivers Miño and Guadiana, after defining what corresponds to each of the two countries, so that it will also be possible to fix the scope of the marine space of both nations, according to the Bilateral Treaty signed by Madrid and Lisbon, in Vila Real, on May 30.

The treaty, which was published in the BOE on the 6th, establishes, according to Europa Press, the closing line of the mouths of the rivers Miño and Guadiana and intends to lay a basis for «beginning in the future» the negotiation of the delimitation of the territorial sea, the exclusive economic zone and the expansion of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles.

Also, Spain and Portugal claim to be «aware» of the need to delimit the international stretches of both rivers to comply «scrupulously» with international law and in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.