Casablanca – Morocco and Spain have agreed to reopen their economic borders at Ceuta and Melilla by January 2023 to guarantee the beginning of a smooth and progressive transit of goods through land customs posts.
The decision was announced on September 21 in New York by Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares following his talks with his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita on the sidelines of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 77).
During the two diplomats’ meeting, the head of Spanish diplomacy indicated that Spanish exports to Morocco have increased by 30% in just one year.
With a total value of €6 billion ($5.8 billion), this trade boost reconfirmed Spain’s position as the country’s top trading partner.
Albares also announced that the Spanish government will approve a fund of €20 million ($19.5 million) to promote development in Morocco.
This is the first Spanish project of its kind in 20 years in Morocco, aimed at providing small loans to promote the integration of youth and women into the economy.
The Spanish minister further said that cooperation between the two countries will also focus on technical assistance in the railroad and water sectors, with the aim of establishing integrated systems.
Read also: Spain to Install New Entry/Exit System in Ceuta-Morocco Border
The border crossings at Ceuta and Melilla were closed during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020.
The closure has been prolonged due to the diplomatic crisis triggered a year ago between the two neighboring countries by their diplomatic spat related to Western Sahara.
The Moroccan government had formerly tolerated small-scale smuggling between Ceuta and the Moroccan cross-border city of Fnideq.
This illicit traffic fueled the local economy but deprived Moroccan customs of important revenue leading to Morocco cracking down on the prevalent practice in the fall of 2019 by closing the crossing points where carriers of untaxed goods regularly crossed between the Spanish enclave city of Ceuta and the Moroccan territory.
But, after the re-establishment of relations between Morocco and Spain, most of the two countries’ borders were reopened in May 2022, striving for a revival of their bilateral trade cooperation.
