Spain’s Interior Minister Praises as ‘Exceptional, Extraordinary’ Security Cooperation with Morocco

Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska on Friday praised Moroccan-Spanish security cooperation, describing it as “exceptional and extraordinary”.

“Cooperation with Morocco is exceptional and extraordinary, obviously based on trust and good faith. It is a daily effort to serve the interests of the two respective societies and guarantee the rights and freedoms of all,” the Spanish official told the press on the sidelines of the inauguration of a new canine center of the national police in Valladolid.

The Interior Minister highlighted the strategic importance of this bilateral cooperation in addressing shared challenges, particularly in the fight against organized crime, and praised the close collaboration between Spanish and Moroccan security forces in this regard.

“In a globalized world, combating organized crime requires cooperation, loyalty, fidelity, and professionalism,” he underlined.

Echoing him, foreign minister José Manuel Albares said without Moroccan cooperation thousands could have entered Spain illegally.

The comments came after Morocco stopped 3000 over the last weekend from illegally crossing into the Spanish-occupied enclave of Ceuta.

Authorities arrested 152 people for inciting to the illegal crossing on September 15.