Morocco rejects any bargaining policy in its relations with Spain
Morocco-Spain, Politics, 4/30/2001

Morocco rejects a bargaining and dealing policy in its relations with Spain, said the spokesperson of the Moroccan ministry of foreign affairs and cooperation.

The spokesperson made the statement Sunday in response to the statements made by the Spanish government on "the consequences" expected following the European Union decision to end negotiations with Morocco on a fishery accord.

The council of European fishery ministers decided Wednesday to stop negotiations with Morocco on fisheries, after the two sides failed to reach agreement on a new fishery accord following several technical and political rounds of negotiations.

Immediately after the council's announcement, Morocco said it cannot shoulder the failure of fishery negotiations. Spanish Premier, Jose Maria Aznar, announced retaliation against Morocco following the suspension of negotiations, and was quoted by the media as saying that the non-renewal of the fishery accord will have an impact on Morocco's relations with the European Union and with Spain.

Some 400 European trawlers, mostly Spanish and Portuguese, were forced to berth after the expiry in November 1999 of the previous fishery accord with Morocco.

The foreign department spokesperson said Morocco, "an independent and sovereign state, privileges in its foreign relations positive dialogue and constructive negotiations and rejects the logic of pressures and bargaining," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that "the policy of threats and intimidation is not consistent with the repeated statements by the Spanish government on the spirit of cooperation and the ties of friendship and neighborliness that must rule Moroccan-Spanish relations."

Rejecting that Morocco be responsible for the failure of the Morocco-EU negotiations on fisheries, the spokesperson said Morocco does not see a link between the fishery accord and the Spanish government's statements about reconsidering its commitment to convert (part of Morocco's) debt or co-finance infrastructure development projects.

"At the moment Morocco is held responsible for the failure of dialogue with the EU, it is worth recalling that this dialogue was opened in October 2000 at Morocco's initiative and that Morocco was the side having made all possible sacrifices at the political, economic and social scales, in a bid to reach a fair and balanced agreement, taking into account the two sides' legitimate claims and constraints," the foreign department spokesperson said.

"Moroccan negotiators spared no effort to meet, within the limits of the possible, the European claims, including those related to sensitive fishery, prey to over-fishing, and this despite the need to promote this sector of activity which is job and growth generating. Morocco has also shown understanding for the social problematic of European traditional fishing."

The Spokesperson also voiced astonishment at the Spanish government statement saying that "Morocco and all its various political, unionist and associative components learned with amazement the Spanish government's statements," and recalled that "Morocco, which constantly endeavors to renovate the ties of friendship and mutual respect with neighboring Spain, rejects the policy of arrogance and threats and deems cooperation between the two kingdoms should take into account the mutual interests of the two countries and the two peoples."

For the spokesperson, in line with the provisions of the accord of friendship, neighborliness and understanding signed by the two countries in 1991, "the resolve for understanding and the spirit of responsibility must prevail at any time and under any circumstances" between the two countries, which are "both aware of the duties and constraints dictated by neighborliness and advocated by a voluntary partnership, patiently built up over years by two friendly kingdoms."

Previous Stories:
  Spain denies threats against Morocco   (4/28/2001)
  Expatriates transit, sole item of Moroccan-Spanish talks   (4/28/2001)
  Spanish secretary of state for foreign affairs in Morocco   (4/4/2001)

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