The President of the Spanish Government arrives in Rabat for the XII High Level Meeting with Morocco

First modification: 02/02/2023 – 02:04

After his arrival and after a first meeting with the head of the Moroccan Government, Aziz Ajanuch, the president of the Spanish ministerial train, Pedro Sánchez, addressed the Spanish-Moroccan business forum. In the event, which served as a prelude to the High Level Meeting (RAN) between both delegations, the leader of the Iberian Executive ratified the importance of the meeting.

“Our shared objective is to open a new stage to develop the potential offered by the bilateral relationship on renewed bases of trust and compliance with what has been agreed, respect and mutual understanding,” the Spanish politician pointed out.

Sánchez highlighted the signing of 24 agreements in dissimilar areas as an example of the next level of relations between Rabat and Madrid. And it is that the African nation is one of the main commercial partners of Spain. More than 55% of the European nation’s exports to the African continent were concentrated in Morocco, representing some 9.7 billion euros in the period between January and October 2022.

The leader of the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party also called for normalizing the customs of both territories on the borders of Ceuta and Melilla, since the reorganization of the exchange of goods is becoming more important in the context of the crisis that is currently being experienced.

The head of the Palacio de la Moncloa applauded the presence of Moroccan investors in more than 600 Spanish companies. He also described it as “fundamental to continue eliminating barriers to trade and investment, making legal certainty the key tool for economic relations”, to promote their presence.

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The “courage” and “historical realism” of Spain

The issue of the Sahara was not left out of the interventions in the economic forum. The Moroccan Prime Minister pointed out that “bilateral relations are experiencing a new stage in the framework of the support of their (Spanish) Government for the Moroccan autonomy plan under Moroccan sovereignty. Spain has had courage and historical realism and it is something that we highly praise ”.

The head of the Moroccan ministers highlighted the way in which both countries overcame the “misunderstanding” between the two governments and that there are always ways to overcome it, since they are aware of the strength projected by unity between the two territories.

Relations between Spain and Morocco were affected in 2021 when Madrid accepted that the leader of the Polisario Front, an enemy of Rabat, receive medical treatment in Spanish territory.

The response of the African country was the relaxation of border controls in Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in North Africa, which resulted in the incursion of thousands of people into that area.

The return of irregular immigrants

The issue of migrants will be key in the RAN. The Spanish Minister of the Interior will propose to his Moroccan counterpart the reactivation of the return of irregular immigrants.

Almost a week ago, a young man born in Morocco with a deportation order from European territory since June 2022, murdered a sacristan and injured four people in two churches in the city of Algeciras.

The return of the African citizen was pending due to the accumulation of files.

Spanish Foreign Minister stresses the Moroccan leader’s support for the binational summit

José Manuel Albares, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Spain, stressed the “personal involvement” of the Moroccan monarch, Mohamed VI. And it is that the Spanish opposition attacked Pedro Sánchez after it was learned that the king did not agree to a meeting with the Spanish president in what represents the most important meeting of both nations in almost a decade.

The deputy secretary for institutional action of the PP, Esteban González Pons, affirmed that “there is no greater humiliation than giving up everything to Morocco, going with half the government to give satisfaction, portraying yourself in the European Parliament, that the king does not receive you and that you settle for to pick up the phone.”

González Pons concluded by asking, “is Sánchez free in the face of Morocco, which allows itself to be ignored so much? The foreign minister referred specifically to the trill, stating that “The only ninguneo comes from the PP in not understanding the importance for Ceuta, for Melilla, for Andalusia, for the Canary Islands, for Spain, of the relationship with Morocco, in ignoring the understanding of that relationship”.

However, Mohamed VI had a phone call with Sánchez. Both indicated that the RAN will consolidate a new stage in binational relations. In the conversation, the head of the Moroccan Royal House invited him to make an official visit soon.

With AP and EFE