The Spanish government wants to have a commitment from Britain to support the inclusion of clarifications on the status of Gibraltar in the Brexit package. Meanwhile in Morocco, the Democratic Confederation of Labor asked El Othmani's government about the steps it is planning to take regarding the status of Ceuta and Melilla. The Democratic Confederation of Labor (CDT), a national trade union operating in Morocco, shed light, Tuesday December the 4th, in the House of Councilors on the status of both Ceuta and Melilla. The idea was made public after Spain urged Britain to clear up the status of Gibraltar in the Brexit package. Responding to that, the Secretary of State to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mounia Boucetta said that the Saadeddine El Othmani's government sees «defending the country's territorial integrity as a priority for the Moroccan diplomacy». Mounia Boucetta stressed that the situation of the two cities is no exception to other territories in the world. «There are similar cases in Europe and Asia», she said, claiming that the settlement of these «cases» doesn't rely solely on «history and geography», but also on «economic, social, and security factors». «Two cases, two measures» Boucetta's answer, however, did not convince a counselor from the trade union. «What we want to know is what the government is doing and the initiatives it is planning to launch in order to get Ceuta and Melilla back, especially since Spain is doing the same thing when it comes to Gibraltar, taking advantage of the Brexit negotiations», she said. The counselor added that «it is time to spotlight the issue and put it on the list of topics discussed with the Spanish government. It is unbelievable that Spain is putting pressure on Britain to get Gibraltar back while the Moroccan government is doing nothing regarding Melilla and Ceuta. When Gibraltar was ceded to the British, that was performed through the Treaty of Utrecht signed on July 13, 1713, while the two cities were colonized». Responding to that, Mounia Boucetta stated that the matter must be approached in a «global» manner, especially when it comes to the settlement of this kind of territorial conflicts. Boucetta added that the «interests and sovereignty of the nation» must also be taken into consideration.
