Report: Moroccan paper rejects Spanish blackmailing and pressure over fisheries agreement

Moroccan daily "L'opinion" rejected this Wednesday Spain's blackmailing and pressure to make Morocco resume negotiations over a fisheries agreement.

The paper, of the Moroccan nationalist party "Istiqlal," was reacting to a statement by Spanish minister of agriculture, fisheries and food, Jesus Posada, that his government will make the "adequate" pressure to obtain the resumption of fishing by its fleet in Moroccan waters.

For the daily, such concepts are obsolete and can no longer regulate relations between sovereign states that should promote partnership, discuss on an equal footing and ban all forms of exploitation to establish bilateral cooperation bonds.

The daily insists that as a sovereign and independent country, Morocco has the right to use its resources and take sovereign decisions that it deems necessary. The paper further considers the Spanish minister's statement as dictated by political considerations due to the upcoming legislative elections, but refuses that Morocco be the object of any form of pressure or blackmailing.

The daily also recalls how Moroccan water resources were savagely over-exploited by the foreign fleet and calls for new forms of cooperation with the European Union to protect Moroccans' interests and their right to use their sea resources.

Morocco refused to renew a four-year fisheries agreement with the European fleet, after it expired in November 99 and forced European boats, mostly Spanish ones, to stop activities in Moroccan fish-rich waters.