Rabat – The Spanish Senate approved on Wednesday the Spain-Morocco cooperation agreement on security and the fight against crime.
Spain’s Ministerial Council first approved the convention on September 8, in a meeting chaired by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
The Spanish Foreign Affairs Committee also adopted the convention on October 19 at the Congress of Deputies.
The cooperation agreement aims to face the common concerns of Morocco and Spain in light of rising terrorism, human and drug trafficking, and cross-border crime.
The 15-article agreement contains the most important aspects of Spain-Morocco security cooperation, providing details on the crimes that the convention will cover, according to the Spanish government.
It also emphasizes the provisions relating to the fight against crime with a major focus on terrorism, as well as operational and investigative activities on crimes.
On September 2, Moroccos’ Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita had a telephone conversation with his Spanish counterpart, Arancha Gonzalez Laya, about bilateral relations and security-related regional issues in the Mediterranean, the Sahel, and the Middle East.
“Morocco is proud of the security cooperation [with Spain], with serious joint efforts to curb terrorism, transnational insecurity, and organized crime,” Bourita said.
Gonzalez Laya recalled Spain’s regular appeals to the European Union to support and cooperate with Morocco, particularly in the fields of security and migration. She added that Morocco is “a source of stability for Spain.”
Last month, Prime Minister Sanchez expressed at the G20 summit his concerns with the pressure that Morocco faces as a bridge between Africa and Europe. He also recalled that Spain often advocates for increased European funds to help Morocco tackle irregular migration.
Before the Ministerial Council’s approval of the security cooperation agreement, Spain and Morocco shared cooperative ties in the fight against terrorism.
In May, a joint operation between Spanish police, the United States FBI, and Morocco’s General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance led to the arrest of a Moroccan man in Barcelona for his alleged ties to ISIS.
