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Join on Telegram Rabat – Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez arrived today in Rabat for a working visit as part of his country’s political agenda seeking to boost bilateral ties with Morocco.
Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch received Sanchez, who was accompanied by Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Alabres.
On his X, formerly Twitter, Sanchez thanked Akhannouch for his welcome, and commended the bilateral ties with Morocco.
“Relations with our neighbor, friend, and strategic partner are at their best moment in decades,” the Spanish diplomat said.
He added that the official visit seeks to boost cooperation between the two countries in all areas and “consolidate a model of constructive neighborhood based on trust and mutual respect.”
Morocco and Spain maintain good bilateral ties, with the two countries determined to advance their cooperation on all levels.
The consolidated ties have come following years of tensions following a diplomatic crisis in 2021, when Spain made a controversial decision to host Polisario leader Brahim Ghali for his hospitalization.
Both countries mended ties after Spain’s historic decision to endorse Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as “the most serious and credible basis” to end the dispute over Western Sahara.
Sanchez and Albares are expected to hold a series of talks with senior officials on different topics, including security and migration management cooperation in addition to political dialogue.
It is still unconfirmed whether Sanchez will be received by King Mohammed VI.
Sanchez and Albares’ visit is likely to be met with further frustration from Algiers, which has been publicly engaged in a strong critique of cooperation between Rabat and Madrid.
Spain’s decision to endorse Morocco’s Autonomy Plan angered Algeria, which recalled its ambassador to Madrid in 2022 and also ended a 20-year-long friendship treaty that had a significant impact on the two countries’ trade exchanges.
In recent months, the two countries decided to mend ties, and Algeria appointed a new ambassador to Madrid.
Albares was also set to visit Algiers for a bilateral visit, but his office canceled the trip at the last minute.
Although reports say the official reason for the cancellation was for scheduling reasons, the incident opened doors for several rumors, with many suggesting that the decision was due to political divergences on Spain’s Western Sahara position.
