Albares: Morocco is the main priority of the Spanish foreign policy

The importance of having good relations with Morocco was reiterated by José Manuel Albares, Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union, and Cooperation, on Monday in Madrid, assuring that Morocco continues to be “the first priority” of Spain’s foreign policy.

All presidents and foreign ministers of our democracy have defined Morocco as the number one priority of Spain’s foreign policy,” Albares stressed at a forum organised by the Llorente y Cuenca consultancy firm on the occasion of the upcoming Spanish presidency of the European Union.

“Not working to have a good relationship with Morocco is very damaging for the Spanish people,” insisted the head of Spanish diplomacy.

Both countries have now laid the foundations of a new relationship based on mutual respect and the non-use of unilateral acts,” Albares said, adding that the first results of this new dynamic are “already visible”.

In this regard, the minister pointed to the reduction in irregular arrivals of immigrants on the Spanish coast, which he said has prevented “thousands of deaths” in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, and to the increase in trade between the two countries.

The results are there and we can see that we are managing things much better than we did a year and a half ago,” concluded Albares.

On 1 and 2 February, Morocco and Spain held their 12th High Level Meeting in Rabat, which resulted in a joint declaration in which both parties expressed their commitment to perpetuate the excellent relations which have always linked them and reaffirmed their desire to constantly enrich them.

On this special occasion, the two parties signed several cooperation agreements in various fields, including migration management, tourism, infrastructure, water resources, the environment, agriculture, vocational training, social security, transport, health security and research and development.

 

Read Also: Albares: “A new phase has begun between Rabat and Madrid.”