DR ‹ › Fernando Clavijo, president of the Canary Islands government, has reiterated his alignment with Spain's central government on international relations, stating, «We are fully bound by what the government decides.» Speaking at a press conference in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria after meeting Karim Achengli, president of the Souss-Massa Regional Council, Clavijo reaffirmed his support for Madrid's position on Western Sahara. He noted that this stance is in line with the United Nations framework, which considers autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as «one of the most realistic solutions.» Clavijo stressed that foreign policy remains the exclusive responsibility of the central government, with regions expected to follow its lead. «We are part of Spain, and of course, we are fully bound by what our government decides. We share this position and are fully committed to it», he said. He also recalled expressing the same stance during a visit to Rabat in October 2024, when he voiced his «full» support for Spain's endorsement of autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as a solution to the Sahara issue, later clarifying that his remarks were intended to reflect Spain's official foreign policy. On the sidelines of the meeting, Clavijo and Achengli discussed ways to strengthen cooperation, particularly in the blue economy and tourism. The visit, which brought together more than 80 representatives from institutional, economic, academic and social sectors in Souss-Massa, follows a previous Canary Islands delegation's trip to Agadir last January. Clavijo added that cooperation also extends to academia through student exchanges and joint research projects, as well as to ports and maritime activities. Since the start of the current term in 2023, three Canary Islands trade missions to Morocco have been organized, two of which he attended, helping to strengthen what he described as «opportunity links» in sectors including the blue economy, tourism, education and water treatment. «We are convinced that institutional cooperation and commitment will create great opportunities that will benefit our people,» he said. For his part, Achengli stressed that the visit aims to «build a shared future that goes beyond geographical proximity,» particularly in agriculture, tourism, innovation and investment. Both sides acknowledged that quantifying the financial impact of these agreements remains a challenge.
