Spanish FM: Morocco, Spain Enjoy ‘Excellent’ Relations

Rabat – Morocco and Spain share “excellent” relations since last April, Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Jose Manuel Albares said on Wednesday.

Commenting on the Morocco-Spanish High-Level Meeting that is set to take place today, Albares said that “resuming the meetings after eight years demonstrates the importance and the excellent dynamics Morocco and Spain share.”

Speaking to Morocco’s news agency (MAP), Albares expressed his optimism about the meeting and explained that the meeting is to cover three crucial topics: strengthening political dialogue, creating new economic partnerships, and structuring an agreement on cultural and educational cooperation.

According to the Spanish minister, the meeting in Rabat will be an opportunity to “report on the concrete results” of the new Road Map Madrid and Spain adopted in April of last year to further their strategic partnership in a broad range of sectors.

Of the Morocco-Spain cooperation on border security, Albares said that the joint management has lowered the flow of irregular migrants to the Spanish coast by 31% at a time when irregular migration routes from Africa to Europe are growing exponentially.

The Spanish diplomat recalled the significant trade between the two countries. “We have exceeded the mark of €10 billion in Spanish exports and €20 billion in global trade,” he said, adding that these data show “the confidence and strategic relationship” that Morocco and Spain share.

He further insisted that political dialogue between Morocco and Spain is strong as reflected in the audience Morocco’s King Mohammed VI granted for Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez in April 2022, as well as in the eight meetings Albares had with his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita.

“We are engaged in dialogue at all levels, and the meetings between the various ministers and working groups are yielding concrete results of this new phase,” he said.

In line with their joint commitment to boost relations, Spain is expected to announce an €800 million credit in Morocco, Bloomberg reported today.

“Sanchez is due to sign the credit line and 20 agreements that range from developing renewable energy to building water desalination plants and infrastructure Thursday,” the report detailed.