Morocco, a friend and key Spanish ally- Pedro Sanchez says

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has once again dissipated the fog that some extreme-left and anti-Moroccan circles wish to create, reiterating Morocco’s standing as a friend and key ally for Spain.

“Morocco is a friend and a key ally for Spain’s economic development and our gateway to Africa. It is also an ally in security and the management of migration towards our country and Europe,” Sanchez told members of the Spanish Parliament.

The roadmap signed between the two countries in April 2022 put bilateral ties on strong foundations and ushered a closer cooperation, he said.

Since April, air and sea routes have been reopened between the two countries with the return of Marhaba operation marking the crossing of millions of Moroccans in Europe to their homeland via Spain.

Results in migration management are “stark,” he said, noting that arrivals through the Atlantic route dropped 63% in the first quarter this year, while Greece and Italy for example saw arrivals jump 95% and 300%.

At the economic level, Sanchez recalled that Spanish exports to Morocco hit 12 billion euros last year, making Spain Morocco’s largest trading partner ahead of France.