Morocco has drawn a clear line against what it described as attempts by Spanish political and media circles to use the Kingdom for domestic political purposes, saying it will not become a pre-election political pawn or a scapegoat in political score-settling.
In a statement released Thursday, Morocco’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates reaffirmed the Kingdom’s sovereign choice to build relations with Spain around good neighborliness, political understanding, economic partnership and security cooperation.
The Ministry said this approach reached its fullest expression in the Joint Declaration of April 7, 2022, following the meeting between King Mohammed VI and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
The declaration marked a new phase in relations based on mutual respect, mutual trust, ongoing dialogue and the pursuit of a mutually beneficial partnership, the statement said.
Morocco Rejects Political Score-Settling
The Ministry said this approach had allowed the two countries to foster what unites them while addressing differences calmly and respectfully, away from attempts to create a fait accompli.
It pointed to tangible results, particularly in economic and security cooperation. Spain is Morocco’s leading economic partner, while Morocco is Spain’s second-largest trading partner outside the European Union, according to the statement.
The Ministry also highlighted security cooperation, saying it had helped save lives and dismantle terrorist and criminal networks, often at the cost of casualties and property damage suffered by Moroccan forces.
On migration, the statement said cooperation between Morocco and Spain has always been coordinated and effective. It said the events of last July require a thorough investigation to determine the circumstances, identify any interference, expose any manipulation and ensure they never happen again.
The Ministry questioned why accusations against Morocco continue when no evidence, facts or reports establish any involvement by Moroccan authorities.
It also asked why illegal migrants are not being returned despite the Moroccan government’s official commitment to readmit them, and why unaccompanied minors are being kept away from their families despite Morocco’s urgent request for their return.
“The answer to these questions is not to be found in Morocco”, the Ministry said, pointing instead to the relevant Spanish authorities.
The statement also criticized Spanish political and media circles for persistently exploiting Morocco for domestic political purposes. It said it was particularly regrettable that long-standing political parties, despite their extensive experience in government, had fallen into what it called a quagmire in which unreasonable and populist escalation prevails over common sense.
The Ministry similarly criticized what it described as ill-advised initiatives by legislative and judicial institutions that lead to discord, saying such missteps fuel a strategy of fear detrimental to all.
Morocco, the statement stressed, “refuses to be used as a pre-election political pawn” and will not accept being “the scapegoat in political score-settling.”
Geographical proximity between Morocco and Spain is an immutable reality, the Ministry concluded, emphasizing that political leaders can turn it into an asset for the future through courage and vision. Strategic blindness, it warned, could instead transform that asset into a source of chronic mistrust and recurring tensions.
- Source: MAP