Rabat – Morocco’s absence from the forum of the Union for the Mediterranean did not sit well with the Spanish government, Spanish sources have indicated.
El Pais reported on Sunday that Morocco’s Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita apologized for not being able to attend the forum as it coincided with the China-Africa conference, which opened today in Dakar, Senegal.
Spanish FM Jose Manuel Albares is reported to have been particularly frustrated by Bourita’s absence as it would have been the first in-person meeting between the two foreign ministers since diplomatic relations between their countries hit a historic low between April and May.
Morocco and Spain experienced an unprecedented crisis after the Sanchez government allowed Polisario leader Brahim Ghali to enter Spanish territory.
Morocco unsparingly denounced Spain’s sheltering of the Polisario chief, saying that the lack of consultation as the Spanish government’s decided to host Ghali constituted a blatant disregard for the long-standing strategic cooperation and partnership between Madrid and Rabat.
According to El Pais, Bourita and Albares were scheduled to meet at the UN general Assembly in September, but the meeting was postponed without a specific date to be revealed.
The Spanish news outlet also recalled that Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra said he will not participate in the Union for the Mediterranean meeting.
However, “the absence of the Algerian minister is less significant, because Albares already met with him on September 30 in Algiers and on October 21 in Tripoli (Libya), both times with the aim of ensuring the flow of gas in Spain after the closure of the gas pipeline that runs through Moroccan territory,” noted the Spanish newspaper.
El Pais also said that diplomatic ties between Spain and Morocco have not yet been fully restored to pre-crisis normalcy despite King Mohammed VI’s recent “conciliatory words” towards Madrid.
On August 20, the monarch said Morocco was open to preserving and furthering its diplomatic partnership with Spain.
The king expressed a “feeling of optimism” regarding future dialogue with the government of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. He spoke of the need to “usher in a new, unprecedented phase in the relations between the two countries, on the basis of trust, transparency, mutual respect and the fulfillment of obligations.”
In spite of both countries’ recently reported readiness to continue their bilateral cooperation, recent weeks have highlighted lingering issues.
In its report, El Pais mentioned the reported Spanish-Moroccan disagreements over the Chafarinas Islets as one of the many unsettled points of contention between the two countries.
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