Summary:

On 26 August 2025, at an international seminar in Rabat entitled ‘International Practices in the Delimitation of Maritime Spaces,’ Morocco’s Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita announced that Morocco and Spain are holding direct talks to define their maritime boundaries under international law. 

The minister stressed that the process respects Morocco’s sovereignty, especially in the southern provinces, and is guided by cooperation, transparency, and shared interests.  

Bourita highlighted Morocco’s longstanding legal framework, including its 2017 submission to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf and the 2020 laws reinforcing its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone.  

Bourita reaffirmed the country’s commitment to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, asserting that Morocco opposes any unilateral moves and maintains a firm, law-based approach to boundary delimitation. 

Outlook: 

As Morocco and Spain are willing to maintain a constructive dialogue, the ongoing maritime boundary talks could provide a more predictable and legally grounded framework for regional maritime governance. Resolving these disputes may strengthen economic cooperation, particularly in fisheries and potential offshore energy exploration, while reducing the risk of diplomatic friction in the event of promising discoveries.  

As disagreements over maritime boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean Sea continue to drive rifts between Greece, Turkey, and Libya, Spain and Morocco may be seeking to get ahead of potential issues. 

However, the negotiations remain sensitive due to the historical complexities of Morocco’s southern provinces and waters adjacent to Western Sahara, meaning progress will require careful balancing of national interests, sovereignty claims, and international legal norms. This is especially sensitive given Morocco’s development of the EU-backed Nador West Med port which has raised concerns in Spain over potential impacts on its own maritime and commercial interests. 

A successful pro-active agreement would enhance regional stability, reinforce Morocco’s role as a proactive actor in the Mediterranean, and set a precedent for addressing other protracted maritime disputes linked to contested territories. 

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