Spain's top diplomat calls Morocco’s criticism of pandemic response 'unacceptable'
New spat crowns year of tensions running high between Mediterranean neighbors
OVIEDO, Spain
Spain’s foreign minister on Tuesday branded Morocco’s criticisms of the Spanish pandemic response “unacceptable.”
Speaking to the media after meeting with his counterpart from Luxembourg, Jose Manuel Albares slammed Morocco’s denunciations of Spain, saying they “do not correspond with reality.”
“Spain complies with all international requirements, and I will send that message to Morocco,” he continued.
On Monday, Morocco’s Health Ministry accused Spain of “endangering the health of Moroccan citizens” with lax airport controls.
“After observing the travel procedures, it was confirmed that competent Spanish authorities are not strictly controlling the health of the passengers upon arrival to the airports,” said a statement.
The ministry said it detected various people infected with COVID-19 traveling from Spain to Morocco.
Moroccan authorities also announced that Portugal, not Spain, would be used as a base to repatriate Moroccan citizens who have been stranded abroad since the country abruptly canceled all flights to the country on Nov. 29 over fears of the omicron variant.
Morocco had not communicated the issue with Spain privately before releasing Monday's statement, said Albares.
Spanish daily El Confidencial reported that Spain has now summoned the head of business at the Moroccan Embassy to discuss the issue.
New coronavirus infections in Morocco are much lower than in neighboring Spain, where cases are soaring and restrictions remain relatively relaxed going into the holiday season.
Over the last 24 hours, Morocco reported just 186 new cases, according to the World Health Organization. Spain, on the other hand, has counted nearly 180,000 cases over the last week.
This spat between the two Mediterranean neighbors marks the end of a year defined by historically high diplomatic tensions.
In May, Spanish authorities allowed Western Sahara separatist leader Brahim Ghali to be treated for COVID-19 in Spain, infuriating Morocco.
As a response, Moroccan border police watched passively as more than 10,000 migrants poured into Spain’s north African enclave of Ceuta.
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