Rabat – The 7th judiciary meeting between Morocco’s Court of Cassation and Spain’s General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) began on Monday, February 3, in Marrakech, in the presence of several senior officials representing the two countries’ judiciaries.
During the two day event, officials are set to discuss the main issues facing the judicial systems in the neighboring country and ways to promote bilateral cooperation, especially in the face of issues of common interest.
At the opening panel of the event, Morocco’s Minister of Justice Mohamed Ben Abdelkader said that the current international and regional challenges mean that it is more important than ever to multiply the efforts of cooperation and coordination between Morocco and Spain.
Meanwhile, the King’s general prosecutor and President of the Public Ministry, Mohamed Abdennabaoui, called for rapidity and efficiency in judiciary cooperation between Morocco and Spain. The judicial powers of the two countries should treat the demands of cooperation “seriously,” he added.
Finally, the President of Morocco’s Court of Cassation, Mustapha Fares, stressed the importance of promoting new mechanisms of cooperation and common action between Moroccan and Spanish judiciary institutions.
Maritime borders
The meeting is part of the growing dialogue between Morocco and Spain amid Morocco’s move to redefine its maritime borders. Morocco’s delineation of its borders in the waters off Western Sahara overlap with the waters off Spain’s Canary Islands.
After several Spanish media outlets called the Moroccan move invalid, Morocco’s Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita ended the speculation, announcing that Morocco is ready to hold talks with Spain in order to find a mutually acceptable solution.
On January 30, Spanish Ambassador to Morocco Ricardo Diez Hochleitner said the diplomatic ties between Rabat and Madrid are “distinguished,” during a meeting with the Head of Morocco’s House of Representatives Habib El Malki.
The House of Representatives notes with satisfaction “the latest constructive and positive dialogue” between the Moroccan and Spanish foreign ministers, El Malki told the press.
On January 24, Spain’s Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya arrived in Morocco to hold talks with Bourita on the new maritime borders.
The Spanish FM reassured her government and the Canary Islands that Morocco is ready to negotiate.
Morocco remains one of the most important partners of Spain, notably in the fields of migration, counterterrorism, and trade.
According to the European Statistics Office, Moroccan exports to Spain increased by 5.4% during the first 11 months of 2018 compared to 2017.
Moroccan imports of Spanish goods also recorded an annual increase of 2.6%.
