Morocco and Spain have issued a joint statement following talks between His Majesty King Mohammed VI and Pedro Sánchez, the President of the Spanish government, who is visiting the Kingdom at the Sovereign’s invitation as part of a new phase of cooperation between the two nations.
Here follows the full text of the joint statement:
“On April 7, 2022, the President of the Spanish Government, H.E. Pedro Sánchez, made an official visit to the Kingdom of Morocco at the invitation of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
During this visit, His Majesty the King and His Excellency the President of the Spanish Government held extensive bilateral talks.
The following statement was adopted at the conclusion of these discussions:
The letter sent by H.E. Pedro Sánchez, President of the Spanish Government, to His Majesty King Mohammed VI on March 14, 2022, as well as the telephone conversation between the Sovereign and the President of the Spanish Government on March 31, have opened a new chapter in Morocco-Spain relations.
Morocco and Spain, conscious of the enormity and strategic importance of the connections that bind them, as well as the legitimate aspirations of both peoples for peace, stability, and prosperity, are launching a new phase in their bilateral relationship today.
This new stage responds to His Majesty King Mohammed VI’s call to “inaugurate a new stage in relations between the two countries” and His Majesty King Felipe VI’s call to “walk together to materialize this new relationship” based on the principles of transparency, continuous dialogue, mutual respect, compliance, and implementation of commitments and agreements signed by both parties. It also reflects the desire of H.E. Pedro Sanchez, President of the Spanish Government, to “build a relationship on more solid foundations.”
Both countries aspire to build a long-term and ambitious roadmap in this spirit.
The visit of the President of the Spanish Government to Morocco is an important moment to consolidate this roadmap and to define the priorities of the next High Level Meeting, to be held before the end of this year.
On this basis, the new roadmap includes the following elements:
1. Spain recognizes the importance of the Sahara issue for Morocco, as well as Morocco’s serious and credible efforts in the framework of the United Nations to find a mutually acceptable solution. As such, Spain considers the Moroccan autonomy initiative, presented in 2007, as the most serious, realistic and credible basis for the resolution of this dispute.
2. Matters of common interest will be dealt with in a spirit of trust, in consultation, far from unilateral acts or faits accomplis.
3. Full normalization of the movement of persons and goods shall be restored in an orderly manner, including appropriate customs and personnel control arrangements at land and sea.
4. Passenger shipping between the two countries shall be restored immediately and gradually until all frequencies are open.
5. Preparations for the Paso del Estrecho/Marhaba operation will be initiated in the same perspective.
6. The working group on the delimitation of maritime spaces in the Atlantic seaboard will be reactivated, with the objective of making concrete progress.
7. Discussions on the management of airspace will be initiated.
8. Cooperation in the area of migration will be reactivated and strengthened. The Permanent Spanish-Moroccan Group on Migration will meet soon.
9. Coordination within the framework of the respective presidencies of the Rabat Process, during the period 2022-2023, will be carried out in such a way as to highlight the exemplary cooperation between the two countries in this field, in favor of a comprehensive and balanced approach to the migration phenomenon.
10. Sectoral cooperation will be reactivated in all areas of common interest: economic, commercial, energy, industrial and cultural, among others.
11. The facilitation of economic exchanges and links between the two countries will be the subject of a meeting soon.
12. The field of education, vocational training and higher education will be a priority in this new stage. A specific working group will be established for this purpose.
13. Cultural cooperation will be strengthened. In this context, a sectoral working group in the field of Culture and Sports will be established. A new impetus will be given to the Board of Directors of the Three Cultures Foundation.

14. The activity reports of the established or reactivated meetings and working groups will be presented at the High Level Meeting.
15. The two countries will initiate exchanges on the updating of the 1991 Treaty of Good Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation, based on the principles, parameters and priorities that should guide their bilateral relations in the coming years.
16. His Majesty King Mohammed VI and the President of the Spanish Government, H.E. Pedro Sánchez, will appoint a committee in charge of the implementation of the present statement, within a period of 3 months”.

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As part of Madrid and Rabat’s aspirations to strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation, King Mohammed VI of Morocco invited Sanchez to visit the North African kingdom.

The planned visit of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to Morocco, according to Spanish Minister of Presidency Felix Bolanos, will have a favorable impact on Moroccan-Spanish relations.

Bolanos underlined that the “fruits of the visit” will be visible, emphasizing the importance of bilateral collaboration.

“The president of the government is going on a very important trip, and the benefits of this new relationship that we want to develop will start to show,” he told La Verdad newspaper on Sunday.

Sanchez was invited to visit Morocco in the “very near future” by King Mohammed VI last week.

During a phone call, the King of Morocco asked Sanchez to visit the North African kingdom.

During the phone call, King Mohammed VI expressed his gratitude for Spain’s efforts to enhance Morocco’s diplomatic relations.

In March, Sanchez wrote to Morocco’s King, declaring Spain’s official support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as the most serious and credible solution to the Western Sahara problem.

The Spanish move brought an end to a historic diplomatic dispute that began in April 2021.

The tension had arisen as a result of Spain’s decision to house Polisario commander Brahim Ghali while he was hospitalized.

Following recent events and Spain’s new stance on Western Sahara, Morocco and Spain have reaffirmed their commitment to establishing a new chapter of cooperation based on mutual trust and respect.

According to Bolanos, keeping strong relations with Morocco is an important aspect of the country’s strategy for sustaining stability.

He also mentioned how the two countries’ cooperation is fostering economic growth.

Along with Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, Sanchez is expected to travel to Morocco.

The trade and economic links between Morocco and Spain are strengthening.

Morocco shipped more than €7 billion worth of goods to Spain in 2021. According to figures released by the Spanish embassy in Rabat, this represents a 14.6 percent rise from 2020.

In 2021, Morocco imported €9.5 billion from Spain, an increase of 29.2 percent over the previous year.

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