Borders to Spanish enclaves are to be reopened

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Morocco's Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita (left) and his Spanish counterpart José Manuel Albares

Photo: FADEL SENNA / AFP

Spain and Morocco have agreed to reopen the borders to the Spanish exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.

"We have reached a final agreement that the land borders with Ceuta and Melilla will be reopened in the next few days," Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said at a meeting in Marrakesh.

According to this, however, "practical questions" still have to be clarified before the actual opening of the border.

The only land borders of an EU country with an African state were closed in spring 2020 as part of the first wave of the corona pandemic.

It stayed that way because of diplomatic tensions between Madrid and Rabat.

In the past few weeks, however, the two countries had come closer again.

Diplomatic change of course in March

The Spanish government made a diplomatic change of course in March after a long dispute over Morocco's control of Western Sahara.

Madrid recognized the Moroccan autonomy plan for the disputed area, which envisages, among other things, offering Western Sahara autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty.

Since then, ferry connections between Spain and Morocco have been resumed and programs for police cooperation have been launched.

ani/AFP