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Politics

Spain's Meteorological Agency Recognizes Morocco's Full Territorial Map

08:20

The official meteorological agency of Spain, AEMET (Agencia Estatal de Meteorología), has recently published weather maps that prominently feature the entirety of Morocco’s territory, including the contested provinces of Sahara. This move, while not unprecedented for a Spanish institution, is particularly noteworthy due to AEMET's official status and the visibility of these maps on public platforms. The maps depict Sahara as an integral part of Morocco, without any demarcating borders.

This development occurs amid shifting dynamics in Moroccan-Spanish relations, particularly following Spain's endorsement of Morocco's autonomy initiative in 2022, which it described as "the most serious, realistic, and credible" solution to the territorial dispute. For Morocco, the accurate portrayal of its southern provinces on official platforms is a crucial step in asserting its sovereignty and correcting decades of misrepresentation in international cartography.

In recent years, Morocco's diplomatic efforts have garnered increasing support from various nations, with more countries acknowledging the autonomy plan as a viable resolution to the long-standing conflict. Notably, in July, France formally recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the Southern provinces in a letter from President Emmanuel Macron to King Mohammed VI.

Despite Morocco's effective governance in Sahara, debates within Spanish media and civil society often revert to outdated or politically motivated cartographic practices that exclude or misrepresent the region. As Morocco continues to advocate for international recognition of its territorial claims, such visual representations, albeit subtle, play a significant role in shaping diplomatic narratives.

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