Strong messages regarding the two nations’ strategic security cooperation were included in the joint declaration between Morocco and Spain, which also emphasized “their commitment to the work of the cooperation group of Mediterranean partners of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which brings together 63 countries from three continents around a global perception of security.

The parties reiterated their “commitment to peace and stability, sustainable development and human rights, including within the framework of the United Nations”, underlining their “particular commitment to the fight against international terrorism, which is the main issue for security and stability in the Euro-Mediterranean region and at global level”.

The two nations announced the continuation of “joint action within the framework of the United Nations to develop international efforts in the field of the fight against terrorism and its financing” and stated their intention to “strengthen their cooperation in the field of the fight against terrorism.” The two sides expressed their “satisfaction with the results achieved in the fight against terrorism” and vehemently condemned terrorist acts “whether inside or outside their territories, as well as all forms of violence that threaten the rights and freedoms of citizens.”

The two nations committed to ‘reinforcing their cooperation in the fight against illegal migration, border control, the fight against networks, and the readmission of illegal immigrants’ in the area of migration.

According to the statement, “the fight against criminal networks of illegal migration also requires recalling the responsibility of neighbors, countries of origin, and the European Union in face of this phenomenon.”

In the field of migration, the two countries agreed to “intensify their cooperation in the fight against illegal migration, border control, the fight against networks and the readmission of illegal immigrants”.

Both countries recognised the “multiple positive contributions that migrant communities make to both host countries and their countries of origin. They are fully committed to combating all forms of racism, xenophobia and any other discrimination against the migrant population”.

In this regard, Spain praised the effectiveness of the practical cooperation with Morocco in the field of circular and regular migration, which has become a model at the international level.

On another level, the declaration underlined “the importance of the efforts made in the field of migration, especially in the framework of the Marrakech Pact and the Rabat series. They reiterate their common commitment to a dynamic movement that allows the smooth and orderly passage of people.

The parties welcomed also the spirit of understanding and cooperation that prevailed during their participation in the Rabat Ministerial Conference, held in Cadiz on 13 and 14 December 2022, which was marked by the handing over of the Presidency between the two countries, as agreed in the joint declaration.

Read Also: Spain, Morocco sign19 agreements to strengthen economic and bilateral cooperation.

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The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union, and Cooperation, Jose Manuel Albares, stated on Friday that Spain, Europe, and Morocco “share vital interests” and that Morocco is a strategic partner for Spain and Europe as well as a neighbor.

“Morocco is a neighbor and a strategic partner for Spain and Europe. We share with Morocco, among other things, the management and channelling of illegal immigration, the fight against jihadism, the commitment to co-development and an interest in Africa”, noted Albares in an interview with the Spanish national radio Rne.

The head of Spanish diplomacy commented that ”without Morocco’s cooperation, Spain and Europe cannot dismantle jihadist cells and arrest terrorists”.

On the other hand, Albares indicated that the next Moroccan-Spanish High Level Meeting “will be a very important moment” in the relations between the two countries, assuring that Rabat and Madrid “have started a new phase with much more solid bases”.

We have many vital interests that must be managed jointly. The High Level Meeting is part of the Spanish-Moroccan roadmap adopted last April, during the visit of the President of the Spanish government Pedro Sanchez to Morocco,” he said, adding that since then, all bilateral working groups have been established.

Trade between the two countries has increased by 31% to reach nearly 10 billion euros, making Morocco the main trading partner of Spain outside the EU, excluding the United States and the United Kingdom, claimed Albares.

In addition, he explained, that all migration routes from Africa to Europe have grown significantly, between 60 and 150%, while those arriving in Spain have decreased by 30%, thanks to the collaboration of Morocco.

According to the new roadmap, the two nations are committed to, among other things, addressing issues of mutual concern in a “spirit of trust and consultation” and reactivating the working groups they established to revive  bilateral multisectoral cooperation.

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