Morocco today refused to pull its troops from a disputed Mediterranean island it occupied last week despite stern warnings from Spain and the European Union.
Moroccan Foreign Minister, Mr Mohamed Benaissa, maintained the "observation post" that Rabat set up on the rocky outcrop was done "within the framework of exercising the sovereignty of the Moroccan state."
The island, not much bigger than a football pitch, has caused a major diplomatic crisis between two countries whose relations are already under deep strain over other disputes.
Spanish Prime Minister, Mr Jose Maria Aznar, issued a warning that Madrid would not tolerate the deployment of the dozen Moroccan troops on the disputed islet, known in Spain as Perejil and as Leila in Morocco.
But a Spanish foreign ministry spokesman said this evening that Madrid had finally received a response to the formal protest it issued to Rabat after the troops arrived on the island in what Morocco said was an effort to clamp down on clandestine emigration and terrorism.
The response was "not entirely negative," the spokesman said, adding it had been handed to Spanish ambassador, Mr Fernando Arias Salgado.
Spain's secretary of state for security, Mr Pedro Morenes, has said his country would resort to "any legal means" if Morocco continued to "occupy" the island.
In Brussels, European Commission president, Mr Romano Prodi, warned "measures could be taken at EU level" if the two countries did not find a diplomatic solution.
"This is territory of the Union. We therefore want the occupation to end as soon as possible," he said.
AFP