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The 2007 Morocco–Spain diplomatic conflict was a short lived disturbance of international relations between Morocco and Spain that arose after the announcement of the impending visit of the King of Spain to the Spanish-ruled autonomous cities Ceuta and Melilla, which are claimed by Morocco. The dispute formally began when the Government of Morocco recalled its ambassador to Spain, Omar Azziman. According to a diplomatic note from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Morocco, "The official announcement on Friday of the unfortunate visit of His Majesty King Juan Carlos I, on 5 and 6 November to the two occupied cities of Ceuta and Melilla is a regrettable initiative, whatever are the motives and objectives." After reporting of calls of queries from the Ambassador, the Chief Moroccan Government Spokesperson said,"The ball is in the countryside of Spain and we hope that that country takes into consideration the sentiments of the Moroccan people and the interest of bilateral ties and cooperation."〔 The royal visit occurred in the days set, registering an influx of thousands of citizens, who cheered the Kings in both Ceuta and Melilla. During those days continued statements against the visit were made by the Moroccan authorities. In this regard, the Prime Minister of Morocco, Abbas El Fassi, compared the situation in both cities with the Israeli occupation of Palestinian Territories and King Mohammed VI himself described the visit as an "outdated and nostalgic act of a dark era." The Spanish government, just before the visit, and after the reporting of the Moroccan opposition, told through the Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega that the visit of the King of Spain was an act of 'institutional normality."〔 Days later, at the initiative of certain groups in Morocco, some hundreds of people carried out protests in Tetuan, as well as front of the border with Ceuta and Melilla. Moroccan authority also discontinued high-level visits of Spanish authorities to their country. Finally, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain, Miguel Angel Moratinos, visited Rabat to meet his Moroccan counterpart, Taib Fassi Fihri on January 3, 2008, and presented him a personal letter from Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero to King Mohamed VI, which advocated for closer relations between both countries. Four days later, the Moroccan Foreign Ministry announced the return of its ambassador to Madrid, thus terminating the conflict. ==Royal visit== On October 30, the Government of Spain announced the visit of King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia to Ceuta and Melilla from 5 and 6 November. The day before, the Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, had told that fact to the opposition leader Mariano Rajoy during an official ceremony, which Rajoy welcomed. The King of Spain had not visited Ceuta and Melilla in his reign. The most immediate antecedent of the stay of King Juan Carlos I in these cities dates back to 1970, when he undertook a visit to Ceuta in his capacity as Prince of Asturias on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the Spanish Legion. The last visit of a Head of State of Spain to Ceuta and Melilla was by king Alfonso XIII, who was last seen in 1927, and President of the Second Republic, Niceto Alcala Zamora, on 4 November 1933. The king of Spain was scheduled to visit to the autonomous city of Melilla in 1997 on the occasion of the five hundredth anniversary of the founding of the city, but the pressure of the Moroccan authorities led to the cancellation of the visit. On November 5, the King and the Queen of Spain stayed in Ceuta for five hours, where they spoke to the Assembly of the Autonomous City, where the monarch said that he "had an pending commitment to Ceuta". Neither the king nor the Minister of Public Administration who accompanied him, Elena Salgado, or any other Spanish authority made any mention of the situation in Morocco.〔 The King was welcomed by 25,000 people.〔 On November 6, the king came to Melilla, in which the Spanish monarch intervened the Assembly. There he acknowledged the loyalty of Melillans to the Crown. He made specific reference to Morocco, but said that "Spain through mutual respect cultivates relations of sincere friendship with its neighbors." The number of people who gathered to welcome the King was estimated at 30,000.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「2007 Morocco–Spain diplomatic conflict」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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