Spanish FM: the diplomatic crisis with Morocco is over

The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs José Manuel Albares, emphasized, this March 18 in a press conference that “the stability and prosperity of Spain and Morocco are intimately linked.”

“Today we begin a new phase of relations with Morocco and end definitively a crisis with a strategic partner,” noted the head of Spanish diplomacy at a press conference in Barcelona, according to the report of the Moroccan national news agency MAP.

This new stage will be based on “mutual respect, respect for agreements, the absence of unilateral actions, transparency and permanent communication,” he insisted, repurposing the terms used in the official statement of the Presidency of the Spanish government.

“Spain and Morocco are linked by history and geography, the two countries are linked by more than 16 billion euros of trade, Morocco is the third economic partner of Spain outside the EU,” said Albares, noting that this trade has continued to grow despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Spanish exports to Morocco have increased by 29% in 2020/2021, 17,000 Spanish companies have trade relations with Morocco and 700 are established in the neighboring country, more than 800,000 Moroccans live in Spain perfectly integrated and contribute to the creation of our prosperity,” he reminded.

Albares said that this new stage will be developed on “a clear and ambitious roadmap to ensure the stability and sovereignty, territorial integrity and prosperity of our countries,” all while assuring that Madrid and Rabat “will approach this new stage with determination to address all common challenges.”

Among these common challenges, Albares cited the strengthening of cooperation in the “management of migratory flows in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic.”

The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs is expected to visit Rabat early this April, “to prepare Sanchez’s trip” to the kingdom.

Sanchez’s visit will be to set the roadmap for this new stage of bilateral relations.