The reopening of customs at Ceuta and Melilla was the focal point of a joint press conference on Monday, featuring Spain's Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, and his Indian counterpart. Spain and Morocco have targeted January 8 for the official reopening, though Albares admitted that «technical problems remain to be resolved before this objective can be achieved». Albares expressed surprise at certain remarks concerning the customs issue, noting that «some people never imagined the opening of customs at Ceuta or the reopening at Melilla», which has been closed since August 2018. He emphasized that the Spanish-Moroccan Joint Declaration facilitated this progress, directing his comments towards right-wing factions and their media outlets. The declaration, a result of discussions between King Mohammed VI and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Rabat on April 7, 2022, states that «the full normalization of the movement of people and goods will be restored in an orderly fashion, including appropriate customs and people control arrangements on land and sea». Subsequent negotiations between the two nations have aimed to implement this agreement. Recently, Moroccan authorities prevented two trucks carrying goods from Melilla from entering Nador, a move labeled by Spanish media as a «new blackmail operation» by Rabat. La Razon reported that «there will be no commercial customs in Ceuta and Melilla without a clear statement from the Kingdom of Spain on the 'Moroccanness' of the Sahara». OK Diario added that «Morocco is demanding that Sanchez cede Saharan airspace in order to unblock customs at Ceuta and Melilla». Meanwhile, the People Party's deputies have called for an extraordinary plenary session of the Lower House, urging Foreign Affairs Minister José Manuel Albares to disclose any «conditions imposed» by Rabat regarding the customs reopening for the two enclaves. Morocco remains wary of the enclaves being used as conduits for Spanish goods to infiltrate its market, reminiscent of past smuggling practices.
