Eduardo González
The governments of Morocco and Russia have concluded a four-year fishing agreement that covers not only the Kingdom’s territorial waters, but also those of Western Sahara, Moroccan official sources reported this week to the press of this country and to the Europa Press agency and reported by the Russian specialized website Fishnews.
The agreement, signed in 2020, was initially due to expire on 31 October, but has been extended until the end of 2024 and negotiations are underway to renew it for another four-year period, starting in 2025. Last Friday, the Moroccan government warned that it would not accept any trade agreement that did not respect its territorial integrity and national unity. The Russian government has expressed its satisfaction with the extension of this agreement, which covers the entire Moroccan Atlantic coast, including Sahrawi waters
The renewal of the agreement follows the decision of the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) to annul the decisions of the EU Council that endorsed the trade agreements signed in 2019 between the European Union and Morocco with regard to their application in Western Sahara.
This ruling sides with the Polisario Front and, by extension, with the people of Western Sahara, by recognising their right to be consulted on the exploitation of the natural resources of their territory. However, Moroccan sources have confirmed that the decision to renew the agreement with Russia preceded the decision of the CJEU.
“We respect the decisions of the Court of Justice of the European Union,” declared the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, on October 4 during his appearance before the Foreign Affairs Committee of Congress. “Our commitment to the stability of the relationship with Morocco is firm and will not be altered,” he added.
