Aziz Akhannouch: Morocco and Spain are Stronger Together

Rabat – The head of the Moroccan government Aziz Akhannouch hailed Morocco and Spain’s “strong, flexible, intelligent, and multidimensional” partnership, stressing that the two neighboring countries are “stronger together.”

Akhannouch made the statement during the Spanish-Moroccan Economic Forum on February 1 in Rabat. The forum is part of the two-day, high-level meeting that saw the participation of senior officials from the two countries, including Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

During his speech at the forum, the head of the Moroccan government celebrated Morocco and Spain’s “excellent” relations, noting their ups and downs and “moments of misunderstanding” in the past. “But each time we have found ways and means to overcome them,” he said.

Morocco and Spain are witnessing a “new era” of bilateral ties, which began after the Spanish government announced the European country’s official endorsement of Morocco’s Autonomy Plan in regard to the Western Sahara dispute, Akhannouch stressed.

In the face of the current geopolitical context and successive global crises, Akhannouch emphasized that the “best response to this disorder is to work hand in hand to build a better future together.”

In this respect, he gave the example of the Morocco-Spain partnership in several fields, which achieved “exemplary” results on several levels, including security and counter-terrorism cooperation.

Akhannouch highlighted the North African country’s efforts to regulate migration flow, “while respecting humanitarian values.” He noted that Morocco prevented 63,000 illegal migration attempts and dismantled 250 migrant trafficking networks in 2021.

He also emphasized the “ingenuity and flexibility” the two countries displayed in the face of the global energy and fuel crisis. Morocco received its first liquefied natural gas shipment through Spain using the Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline, which supplied Spain with gas via Morocco for 25 years.

Trade is another area of cooperation that saw significant growth between Morocco and Spain, Akhannouch highlighted, noting that the European country is Morocco’s leading trade partner in terms of imports and exports.

Meanwhile, Morocco is Spain’s third largest trading partner outside of the European Union, after China and the US, and the number one destination for Spanish exports in Africa and the Arab world, he added.

The Moroccan official also celebrated growing Spanish investment in the North African country, hoping for more investments in the energy, transport, tourism, and industry sectors, in light of Morocco’s new Investment Charter.

Akhannouch concluded his speech by expressing his ambitions for the Morocco-Spain partnership to serve as a model for leadership, development, peace, understanding, and prosperity in the Mediterranean region and beyond.