Maintaining ‘very good’ relations with Morocco is a must – Spanish officials
Spanish Presidency Minister Félix Bolaños on Friday said that his country must have “very good” relations with Morocco, calling the North African Kingdom a “strategic ally” in various areas.
“Morocco is a strategic ally with which we must maintain a very good relationship for the good of our country,” said Bolaños, who was the guest on a program on La 2, one of Spain’s state-owned TV channels.
“Due to its geographical proximity to our country, Morocco is a strategic partner and a fundamental ally in a multitude of issues that affect daily life in Spain,” noted the Spanish official.
In this context, he welcomed the results of bilateral cooperation in various areas, including the management of migration flows and economic, trade and cultural cooperation. “Bilateral cooperation is undoubtedly bearing fruit. The agreements we have with Morocco are working very well.”
Félix Bolaños has thus echoed Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares who had told news channel 24 Horas a day earlier that Spain must maintain “the best relations” with Morocco, given the multidimensional interests and many challenges that both countries share.
He argued that Spain’s relations with Morocco should be a state policy applied for mutual benefit, highlighting the depth of the ties that unite the two countries in all areas.
The Foreign Minister recalled that more than 6,000 Spanish companies export products worth 12 billion euros to Morocco, and that 1,200 Spanish companies are present in Morocco either directly or through their subsidiaries. He also highlighted the contribution of the Moroccan community living in Spain to the economic and social development of the European country.
He also touched on judicial and security cooperation that makes it possible to dismantle jihadist networks that threaten both countries and to fight human trafficking mafias.
José Manuel Albares further welcomed the positive results of the management of the migratory issue between Rabat and Madrid, stating that in the first quarter of 2023, the arrivals of irregular immigrants in the Canary Islands decreased by 63%, while in Greece and Italy they increased by 95% and 300% respectively.
In this sense, Albares praised the new phase initiated a year ago between the two countries, pointing out that this new phase is based on “more solid principles.”
The head of the Spanish diplomacy affirmed that the position of the Spanish government towards Morocco is very clear and unequivocal, and that this position is expressed in the declaration of 7 April 2022 and in the joint declaration that closed the XII High Level Meeting.
This position is based on cooperation, mutual respect, non-interference in internal affairs, absence of unilateral acts and responsibility, the Foreign Minister stated.
