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Rabat — Morocco and Russia have announced their eagerness to explore avenues for enhancing cooperation in the fisheries industry.
The Russian embassy in Morocco announced this week that a Russian research vessel began a research mission to assess the utilization of small marine fish species in the Atlantic fishing zone in Morocco.
The announcement comes as both countries frequently have expressed determination to seize opportunities that aim to strengthen their ties in different sectors, including fisheries.
In 2020, the two countries signed a maritime fisheries cooperation, replacing the 2016 agreement that expired.
The agreement is the eighth of its kind since 1992 between the two countries. This ongoing cooperation has established the legal framework to allow a fleet of 10 Russian vessels to fish for small pelagic species in Moroccan waters beyond 15 nautical miles. The Russian embassy did not specify whether this research falls within the exact same agreement.
This news comes amid a hostile ruling from the European Court of Justice, targeting cooperation between Morocco and the EU in trade, particularly the fisheries sector.
Earlier this month, the ECJ claimed the EU and Morocco fisheries and agriculture agreements between EU and Morocco “violate” the “right to self-determination for Western Sahara people.”
The claims come amid the international community’s support for the partnership deals between Morocco and the EU.
The EU backed the agreements with Morocco, emphasizing the “high value” all EU components place on relations with Morocco.
“The European Council reaffirms the high value that the EU attaches to its strategic partnership with Morocco and reiterates the need to preserve and continue strengthening close relations with Morocco in all areas of the partnership,” the European Council said.
Morocco also responded to the ECJ ruling, describing the text of the verdict as full of errors.
“The content of this decision contains obvious legal errors and suspicious factual mistakes,” Morocco’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, arguing that this indicates a “complete misunderstanding of the realities of the case if not a blatant political bias.”
Since the verdict, Morocco received individualized support from many countries across the world, particularly Spain.
Spanish Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, said on Friday that relations between Spain, the EU, and Morocco will continue to advance despite the ruling.
“If someone has had the political ambition, through the reading of these rulings, to try to put the brakes on the advancement of close relations between the EU and Morocco, or between Spain and Morocco, they have been mistaken, because those relationships are not only based on work but on mutual trust and the search for solutions,” Planas stated.
