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In the statement, the ministry underlined the difference in the government’s stance on Spanish people and the Spanish government.
“Morocco has, moreover and obviously, no problem with the Spanish people, its citizens, its economic operators, its cultural actors and its tourists, who are warmly welcome as friends and neighbors in Morocco,” assured the ministry in its statement.
The ministry scrutinized the “certain political circles, government, media, and civil society who seek to instrumentalize the Moroccan Sahara and harm the interests of Morocco.”
By clarifying Morocco’s stance on Spain and its tourists “who are warmly welcomed as friends and neighbors in Morocco,” the ministry has opened the door to an easing of tensions between Morocco and Spain.
However, the Spanish government has been relentless in its anti-Moroccan rhetoric.
Read also: Spain Has No Intention of Calming Tensions With Morocco
Spanish media outlet El Pais has covered the growing tensions between the two countries from an extremely partisan lense. In its most recent release, El Pais supported the Spanish President Pedro Sanchez’s criticism of Morocco foreign ministry’s statement on Monday.
“It is not admissible that there is a government that says that the borders are attacked, in this case of Spain, that the borders are opened so that 10,000 immigrants enter in less than 48 hours in a Spanish city such as Ceuta, due to disagreements, differences and discrepancies in foreign policy,” said Prime Minister Sanchez.
The Spanish president has continuously blamed Morocco for allowing nearly 10,000 migrants to enter the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.
Morocco’s ministry responded that Morocco only holds the Spanish government responsible for its “archaism inherited from the past.”
In addition, the ministry cited the decades of cooperation between Spain and Morocco.
In 2002, Morocco allowed Spanish fishing charters to fish in Moroccan waters before a joint treaty was agreed upon.
As for terrorism, Morocco’s intelligence services have worked closely with Spain’s National Intelligence Centre (CNI) to prevent 82 terrorist attacks and investigate the 2004 Madrid bombing.
Despite the recent mishaps regarding irregular migration, Morocco and Spain have worked closely in their shared waters to prevent human trafficking and drug smuggling.
The ministry concluded its statement by reaffirming Morocco’s maintained spirit of friendliness to Spanish citizens.
“This is to say, in fact, how much Morocco gives up nothing of the density and solidity of human ties between Morocco and Spain.”
