Government still waits for official answer on delimitation of Canary Islands maritime borders, Benaissa says
Morocco-Spain, Politics, 12/21/2000

"The Moroccan government is waiting for an official answer from Spanish authorities on Spain's decision to delineate unilaterally the Canary Islands' maritime borders" to shed light on the matter and let friendship and neighborly relations between the two countries flow smoothly, foreign affairs and cooperation minister Mohamed Benaissa said.

At Question Time Wednesday, he told MPS his department reacted and asked for explanations adding the government voiced reserves on the communiqué released by the Spanish embassy which said "the news were groundless." The Spanish December 15 release said stories circulated by Moroccan media on Dec. 14 and 15 on a recent so-called one-sided delineation by Spain of the maritime space around the Canary Islands archipelago were groundless. It also recalled aspects of international maritime legislation resorted, namely equi-distance, saying Morocco was fully aware of those aspects.

Benaissa said the UN convention on sea-legislation of September 20, 1982 listed with precision legal measures to adopt in delineating maritime borders. The first paragraph of article 74 of the convention says delimitation of the exclusive economic zone (ZEE) between adjacent or opposite countries is made through agreement in the respect of international law, as provided for in chapter 38 of the International Court of Justice Statutes, to secure an equitable solution, he argued.

The text, he pointed out, is clear on the matter requiring three basic principles for delimitation of maritime spaces of adjacent countries which are agreement by both countries, conformity to international law and an equitable settlement.

The minister recalled how the International Court of Justice had affirmed in a resolution dated October 12, 1984 that delimitation of maritime spaces between adjacent or face-to-face countries ought to be the object of an accord resulting from sincere talks between the two countries. "This never occurred between the kingdom of Spain and the kingdom of Morocco," he said.

The UN convention on maritime law does not list the equi-distance rule in delineating maritime spaces between countries but rather insists on fair settlement in which come to play geographic as well as economic and social factors, Benaissa said reaffirming Morocco granted utmost importance to partnership with Spain and remains eager to develop that partnership for the mutual benefit of the two neighbor countries.

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