John Culatto
THE governments of Spain and Morocco have restarted talks on a possible 14 kilometre tunnel link between the two countries under the Straits of Gibraltar.
Both governments have committed themselves to set up a general strategy and carry out early studies on the possibility of the tunnel for the next three years.
It followed a meeting in Rabat last February where the countries agreed to restart dialogue on the subject.
The EU will fund the fact-finding project to the tune of €2.3 million.
“We are beginning a new stage of relaunching the Fixed Link Project through the Strait of Gibraltar,” Spanish minister Raquel Sanchez said.
Spain’s Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agendas said the construction of the tunnel would require a new treaty to be signed with Morocco.
The tunnel would at first just be for telecommunications and energy, the Spanish government said.
A joint committee of Spanish agency Secegsa and its Moroccan equivalent SNED would manage the project.
The committee could start by building an exploratory excavation to calculate the geomechanical characteristics needed to make the tunnel a reality.
“After fourteen years it is of important political significance that we will now boost the studies of a project of maximum geostrategic relevance for our countries and for relations between Europe and Africa,” Sanchez added.
The joint committee held its first meeting via video link on Monday.
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