DR ‹ › The Minister for Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory of Spain Ángel Víctor Torres said that «maintaining good relations between neighbors remains essential, within the framework of respect for United Nations decisions, the right to hold a referendum, and the agreements reached on the Sahara». He made the remarks in connection with a visit to Morocco by a delegation from the Canary Islands, led by the region's president, Fernando Clavijo. Torres stressed «the importance of preserving the best possible level of relations between neighboring countries, given a range of considerations», adding that he hoped the visit by the Canary Islands' president would «produce the best possible outcomes for the benefit of the archipelago». The minister's comments, however, appear to run counter to the official position of the Spanish government. In March 2022, Madrid publicly endorsed Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara, first presented in 2007, describing it as «the most serious, realistic and credible basis» for resolving the dispute. That shift marked a move away from Spain's previous emphasis on the principle of self-determination toward support for autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty. Fernando Clavijo arrived in Agadir on Monday, where ten cooperation agreements were signed between the Canary Islands and Morocco's Souss-Massa region, along with a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening institutional cooperation and establishing what has been described as an «Atlantic axis». The agreements cover a wide range of sectors, including the economy, trade, innovation, higher education, tourism and sports.
