Spanish FM: Morocco-Spain Collaboration Yields ‘very positive’ Results

Rabat – Since the adoption of the Joint Declaration on April 7, 2022, Morocco’s collaboration with Spain is yielding “very positive” results, Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Jose Manuel Albares said in an interview published by several Spanish media outlets on Friday.

“We are pleased with the very positive outcome,” Albares stressed. “We have laid the foundations of a relationship on new bases, of mutual respect and benefit, with the absence of unilateral actions and respect for agreed commitments.”

The Joint Declaration of April 7, 2022, marked a turning point in Morocco-Spain relations, as the signing of the document marked the end of a two-year tension period between the two countries.

Trade relations are at “historic high levels,” with €20 billion of bilateral trade and €12 billion of Spanish exports to Morocco, Albares said, adding that about 1,100 Spanish companies are currently operating in Morocco.

The top Spanish diplomat further added that the prospects for the development of economic cooperation and investment promotion between the two countries are “great.”

Albares noted the significance of Morocco-Spain cooperation on security issues. He explained that organized crime, human trafficking, and illegal immigration have dropped by 69% on the Spanish coast and 82% in the Canary Islands between January 2022 and January 2023.

Through their advanced security collaboration, Spain and Morocco have dismantled in recent months six jihadist networks, he said.

According to the Spanish minister, the Spain-Morocco High-Level Meeting (HLM), held on February 1 and 2 in Rabat, the first in eight years between the two countries, is proof of the two countries’ shared commitment to further advancing their already vastly improved and multifaceted diplomatic ties.