Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union, and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, stated, on June 20 in Cordoba, that Morocco is the “top priority” of Spanish foreign policies.
“Spanish government officials have indicated that the first priority of Spain’s foreign policies is Morocco,” said Albares in a statement to the press, on the occasion of the holding of a new session of the “Aqaba Process,” an international forum for the fight against terrorism in the Middle East.
The Spanish official stated that “relations between Morocco and Spain are mutually beneficial,” particularly following the adoption of the Joint Declaration of April 7, 2022, and the agreements of the High-Level Meeting (HLM) held between February 1 and 2 in Rabat.
Alabres also recalled “the decrease in irregular immigration,” thanks to cooperation between Morocco and Spain, even though “we are witnessing tragedies, such as the recent Greek coast boat tragedy, which result in hundreds of deaths,” or “the 305% increase in irregular immigration via the Italian coast.”
The Spanish official also stressed the “fundamental” importance of cooperation between the two countries in the fight against jihadism.
At the economic level, Albares recalled the recent trade development between the two countries, pointing out that exports from Spanish companies to Morocco have reached a record figure of EUR 12 billion annually.
Based on the new roadmap, adopted on April 7, 2022, on the occasion of the visit of the Spanish Prime Minister to Morocco, at the invitation of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the two countries are committed to addressing issues of common interest in a “climate of trust and consultation,” while resuming the working groups established between the two countries to boost bilateral multi-sectoral cooperation.
Morocco and Spain held, on February 1 and 2, the 12th session of the Morocco-Spain High-Level Meeting, which was marked by a joint declaration expressing the two countries’ desire to strengthen and enrich the excellent bilateral relations linking the two countries.
The two parties signed numerous cooperation agreements in different fields, including migration management, tourism, infrastructure, water resources, environment, agriculture, vocational training, social security, transport, health security, and research and development.
