SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 21 Aug (EUROPA PRESS) –
The representative of CC in the Congress of Deputies, Cristina Valido, has sought clarification from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, regarding the military drills that Morocco plans to initiate from 1 September in waters approximately 140 kilometres from Fuerteventura.
In her statement, the nationalist party representative highlighted that these military activities, which the North African nation has classified as routine military manoeuvres, are set to continue until the year’s end.
Consequently, the MP called on the Spanish Government to provide details about the specifics of the Moroccan drills, expressing concern over their potential impact on the delicate natural environment surrounding the Canary Islands.
“It is essential to ascertain what information the Spanish government, and more specifically the Minister of Foreign Affairs, possesses concerning these military manoeuvres that Morocco has already declared, which are scheduled to occur very close to the islands in two weeks,” she stated.
Additionally, she requested all accessible information concerning the shooting exercises that, according to the Rabat administration, will be conducted in a maritime area within the waters of Western Sahara, situated around 140 kilometres from Fuerteventura’s coastline.
“What details does the Spanish Government possess about these manoeuvres in such proximity to the archipelago?” Valido questioned the minister, also inquiring about the information his department has transmitted to the Government of the Canary Islands regarding these new military activities by Morocco in the nearby waters.
In this regard, CC further sought clarification from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the potential detrimental effects of Moroccan shooting exercises on the natural environment within the Atlantic maritime areas where Rabat’s planned military manoeuvres are expected to unfold.
“These maritime regions are recognised as some of the most biodiverse ocean corridors on the planet, and the Spanish Government must be cognizant of the significant environmental harm that military exercises could inflict,” she concluded.
