The PP asks Albares to explain Morocco’s conditions for opening customs in Ceuta and Melilla

Eduardo González The recent information about the imminent opening of commercial customs between Morocco and Ceuta and Melilla has generated confusion and concern among the most affected parties. For the moment, the PP has already requested the appearance of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, to explain to Parliament the "conditions imposed" by Rabat. Last week, the newspaper 'El País' reported that Spain and Morocco are, after more than two years and eight months of talks, in the final stretch of negotiations for the opening of the two customs, provided for by the roadmap agreed in April 2022 during the visit of President Pedro Sánchez to Rabat and after the surprising decision of Pedro Sánchez's Government to recognize the Moroccan autonomy plan for Western Sahara, which marked a reversal of Spain's traditional position on this issue and allowed a new period to open in bilateral relations. In the absence of specific dates and official details from the Government, the government sources cited by the newspaper say that the opening will take place “in the next few days” and that the agreement provides for a limited transit of goods, with only one truck per day in each direction at each customs post, at specific times. Spain, according to the sources, will only be able to export certain goods, such as hygiene and cleaning products, household appliances and electronics, which are not manufactured in the autonomous cities, while Morocco will transport fresh products, such as aggregates, fruit, vegetables and fish. Government sources have denied this information, but the restrictions have raised controversy between businessmen and local authorities. In the case of Ceuta (which has never had customs with Morocco, so it would be the first in its history), the Government delegate in the autonomous city, Cristina Pérez, has asked for “caution” and has specified, cited by the Efe agency, that a specific date for its opening has not yet been established. In Melilla (whose commercial customs office was unilaterally closed by Morocco in August 2018), the lack of information and the few details known have generated concern. The Government delegate in this autonomous city, Sabrina Moh, assured last Thursday - quoted by Efe - that the Executive is working with Morocco to reopen the commercial customs office in Melilla "as quickly as possible." For the moment, the PP requested last Friday the convening of the Permanent Commission of the Congress of Deputies to try to force the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, to explain in Parliament the "conditions imposed" by Morocco for the reopening of the commercial customs office in Melilla. For his part, the president of the Autonomous City of Melilla, Juan José Imbroda (PP), has warned that the reopening of the commercial customs with the conditions “imposed” by Rabat implies a “loss of economic and political sovereignty” and that Melilla runs the risk of being treated as if it were a Moroccan city. In statements to the newspaper ‘El Mundo’, Imbroda warned that “an international customs office must be open to everything” and not conform to the limitations established by Morocco. “What Rabat is going to recognise” is a regional border and that is the antithesis of what an international commercial customs office is, and it does so to demonstrate its weight,” added the president of Melilla, who wondered “why” the Government “allows another country to subject it to this” after having given in “on the Sahara to what they (the Moroccans) were asking for, without getting anything in return”, for “reasons that only Sánchez and the Minister of Foreign Affairs will know”.

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