The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has expressed his gratitude for the “hospitality and warm” welcome given to him by the King of Morocco, Mohamed VI, with whom he met at the Royal Palace of Rabat this Wednesday. The Spanish president has assured that the relationship between both countries is the best “in decades”, now also with the addition of the 2030 World Cup to be organized by Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
Sánchez has reaffirmed himself in the “road map” signed by both countries in 2022, which sealed the turn in the Sahara issue. He has assured that his position was “clearly established” in this bilateral document, and that he continues to consider it the most “realistic” basis to resolve this eternal conflict, despite the discrepancies of his coalition partner in the Government, which continues to defend independence. of Western Sahara.
Sánchez has highlighted the “excellent cooperation” between Morocco and Spain in the fight against irregular migration, drug trafficking and terrorism, in addition to commercial exchanges that, in 2022, exceeded 20 billion euros for the first time.
The President of the Government has assured that “customs normalization” in Ceuta and Melilla continues to advance. Although Sánchez returns to Madrid without a specific date for the opening of these customs, he has indicated that on the Spanish side “everything is ready”, while Morocco is completing the preparations. And he has announced that “soon” a meeting will be held between both governments to “clarify customs regulations”, as the last step to open these land customs with Morocco.
Mohamed VI received Sánchez this Wednesday afternoon, at the Royal Palace in Rabat, just over a year after the unforeseen absence of the Alawite monarch marred the last high-level meeting held between Spain and Morocco, in February 2023. On this occasion, the Moroccan king, in his reception, exchanged a few words in Spanish with the President of the Government, who conveyed greetings from King Felipe VI.
The Moroccan king has told him that he has not spoken to him on the phone for a long time. And Sánchez has assured him that the Spanish monarch will be delighted to speak with him, because she has told him that she has a very special affection for him, and also for Morocco. Felipe VI, Sánchez has informed him, especially remembers the state visit that he made to Morocco, together with Queen Letizia, in 2019.
Previously, the Spanish president held a long meeting of more than two hours in the morning with the head of the Moroccan Government, Aziz Ajanuch, in which they reviewed the main issues on the bilateral agenda. Sources from the Spanish Executive have highlighted that the meeting has served “to confirm the excellent state of relations in all areas.”
Sánchez and Ajanuch have thus spoken about the infrastructure projects necessary in Morocco to host the 2030 World Cup together with Spain and Portugal. “There will be many opportunities for Spanish companies, which are very well located,” these sources have stressed. Among these projects in the portfolio, there are also some large-scale ones such as the regional railway network.
Both leaders, according to the Spanish delegation, have also reviewed “the magnificent cooperation and coordination in all areas of security, such as the fight against terrorism and networks of irregular migration and human trafficking.”
And they have also addressed current international crises, such as the conflict in Gaza. Morocco, according to these sources, has valued “very positively the brave position that the Government of Spain has maintained from the beginning in this crisis.”
