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Rabat – The Secretary-General of Spain’s Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) in Andalusia, Susana Diaz, declared on Tuesday that Morocco is Spain’s most stable partner in the Mediterranean and North Africa.
The former president of Andalusia made her remarks during a program on the Spanish television channel Antena3.
Diaz stressed the “fundamental” relationship that Spain has with Morocco, noting that both nations are facing common challenges, namely in terms of security and migration. She added that Spain and Morocco’s common interests are important.
She added that the two countries have the necessary mechanisms to deal with the management of migration, within the framework of dialogue and bilateral cooperation.
The Spanish politician’s remarks echo those of the Spanish Minister of Interior Fernando Grande-Marlaska. He expressed on November 20 during a meeting with his Moroccan counterpart, Abdelouafi Laftit, his satisfaction with Spain’s cooperation with Morocco. He said the relationship between the two countries is “distinguished by mutual trust.”
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also recently spoke of his country’s ties with Morocco during a press conference at the G20 Summit on November 22.
Sanchez underlined the pressure that Morocco faces in dealing with migration issues and stressed the importance of dialogue. He emphasized that Spain is a sort of migration police, engaging with countries of origin and transit such as Morocco.
In light of the surge in arrivals of irregular migration in the Canary Islands, the Spanish government decided earlier this month to deliver 130 vehicles to the Moroccan Ministry of Interior to boost the country’s efforts against irregular migration.
More than 18,000 undocumented migrants arrived to the Canary Islands by sea since January, while more than 5,000 reached the islands in October alone.
Morocco is a key player in the region, with the country’s strong security apparatus benefitting neighbors to the north, south, and east.
French researchers from the Thomas More Institute outlined Morocco’s stabilizing role in the Maghreb and West Africa in a recent analysis.
“In the continuity of its diplomatic action in West Africa, Morocco is also investing in strengthening the dynamics of peace,” the researchers underlined.
This manifests in Morocco’s initiative of training imams from the Sahel to promote “middle-ground Islam,” with the aim of combatting threats of jihadism in the region.
Morocco’s approach makes it an essential partner of Europe in the fight against extremism and other security concerns.
In September, the Spanish Ministerial Council approved an agreement with Morocco on security and crime.
Commenting on the cooperation, the Spanish government said that it reflects the common concern between the two countries in terms of security and the scale of criminal phenomena, including human trafficking, terrorism, drug trafficking, and “new manifestations of transnational organized crime.”
During a September 2 phone conversation between Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita and his Spanish counterpart, Arancha Gonzalez Laya, the Moroccan diplomat said Morocco is proud of its successful security partnership with Spain in curbing terrorism, transnational insecurity, and organized crime.
