Morocco set to assert sovereignty on Atlantic territorial waters from Tangier to Lagouira

Two laws asserting Morocco’s sovereignty on all its territorial waters on the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, including off the Sahara, will soon be adopted by Moroccan MPs.

The laws, already adopted by the foreign affairs committee at the Lower House, were described as “ground breaking” by Morocco’s Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita who said the legislation is an expression of Morocco’s territorial integrity and “full sovereignty” on all its territories.

Although sovereignty is a daily practice for Morocco, it still was necessary to give it a legal cover. ]

The first law extends the Atlantic territorial waters from Tangier to Lagouira, while the second provides for the demarcation of an exclusive economic area of 200 nautical miles off Morocco’s coats.

The Minister said that Morocco will submit to the UN the legislation on extending its territorial waters to include continental plateau of 200 nautical miles on the basis of scientific and technical data.

Concerning any potential dispute with neighboring Spain or Mauritania, Morocco is ready to settle any disagreement through dialogue, he said.

The move comes after King Mohammed VI pointed to the reality of Agadir being the center of Morocco and not its south, pushing the administration to act accordingly.