Morocco, Spain’s strategic partner, number one priority of its foreign policy (Spanish FM)

Morocco is a strategic partner and the number one priority of Spain’s foreign policy, said the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, who hailed “the success” of the 12th high-level meeting, held Wednesday and Thursday in Rabat.

He told the Spanish public television (TVE) that the 12th high-level meeting has had the most concrete results in the history of the two countries, with the signing of a record number of agreements.

Albares noted that the results of this bilateral meeting, the first since 2015, are the outcome of “many months of joint work”.

He said that a “roadmap” has been put in place with “a new dynamic and a new will”, which is “mutually beneficial” in important sectors such as the economy, migration management and also education and culture.

“Morocco is fundamental for Spain, and Spain is fundamental for Morocco,” said Albares.

Spanish exports to Morocco have exceeded the €10 billion mark and the overall volume of bilateral trade has reached €20 billion, an unprecedented fact in economic relations between the two countries, he said.

He hailed Morocco’s collaboration in the management of irregular migration flows, saying this collaboration has led to a 69% reduction in arrivals on the Spanish coast last January compared to January 2022. He also underlined the positive outcome of bilateral cooperation in the fight against terrorism, saying this cooperation led in recent months to the dismantling of six jihadist cells.

All these data confirm that Morocco is a “strategic partner for Spain,” Albares insisted.

The 12th Morocco-Spain high-level session adopted a Joint Statement, in which both parties express commitment to perpetuate and enrich the excellent relations that have always linked the two countries.

The two parties signed, on this occasion, several cooperation agreements covering several areas including migration management, tourism, infrastructure, water resources, environment, agriculture, vocational training, social security, transport, health security and research and development.