Morocco and Spain built up on Thursday momentum for renewed bilateral relations that had seen one of their most difficult moments in recent history when Morocco’s archenemy, Brahim Ghali entered Spain in April 2021 and thousands of migrants entered Spain in May of the same year.
A High meeting between Aziz Akhannouch and his counterpart Pedro Sanchez affirmed that the neighbours remain high priority of their respective foreign policies, as both titled towards a language of political reassurance in the meeting that brought them together in Morocco’s foreign ministry.
“We will avoid everything that we know offends the other side,” said Sanchez, who although faces cohesive pressure from his left-wing government for his pro-Morocco position, said he would support Morocco’s interest when Spain takes over the Presidency of the European Council this year.
“We consolidate today, with this High Level Meeting, the new stage that we have opened in relations between Spain and Morocco,” he said.
Morocco’s government chief Akhannouch made it clear that a primary reason that led to the resolve of the conflict between the two nations is “Spain’s position on our first national cause, which supports the Moroccan proposal for autonomy in the Moroccan Sahara.” He called Spain’s position in a speech given yesterday “courage of historical realism.”
Despite the complex and frequent ups and downs, Morocco-Spanish relations are “in a turning point,” said the head of government before praising the economic forum held on the sidelines of the meeting as an opportunity to expand bilateral cooperation in areas such as renewable energy, agriculture, fishing, and tourism.
Akhannouch acknowledged the challenges posed by the global health crisis and the conflict in Ukraine, calling for intensified efforts to address security threats in the region. He also acknowledged Morocco’s efforts towards a comprehensive approach to development that places the human element at its center.
New objectives
In the communiqué, adopted today, the two governments have proposed a work agenda that aims to promote all facets of bilateral relationship.
This agenda includes:
- A reinforced political and security dialogue, with a mechanism to systematically monitor compliance with the agreements.
- An advanced economic partnership, which develops new investment projects to accompany the development process that Morocco is experiencing.
- A new partnership to strengthen social and cultural ties.
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