Everything comes. The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, will meet this Wednesday afternoon with the King of Morocco, Mohamed VI, during the express visit of the Spanish president to Rabat. “The relationship between Morocco and Spain has never been at the level it is now,” Government sources have highlighted.
Just over a year ago, on February 2, 2023, the unforeseen absence of King Mohamed VI tarnished the relevance that Sánchez gave to the high-level meeting he attended in Rabat to definitively put an end to the last diplomatic crisis suffered. between Morocco and Spain.
The Alawite monarch, who was not even in the country on that occasion, nevertheless invited the Spanish president to make another official visit to Morocco later, but without specifying dates. Until now.
La Moncloa, yesterday suddenly, announced that Sánchez would travel this morning again to Morocco, “a neighboring country, friend and strategic partner of Spain in all areas.”
The already confirmed trip agenda indicates that Sánchez will meet with Mohamed VI in Rabat on this occasion. He will do so at a time to be determined this afternoon, after which he plans to appear at a press conference.
Previously, Sánchez held a meeting with the Moroccan Prime Minister, Aziz Ajanuch, who received him upon his arrival in Rabat, and with whom he later shared an official lunch. Sánchez’s appearance before the media is scheduled at approximately 4:30 p.m., after his meeting with Mohamed VI.
“This visit, which takes place at the beginning of this new legislature, underlines the deep ties that unite both countries,” as reported by Moncloa.
At the start of this term, however, Sánchez once again broke the old custom of Spanish presidents of going to Morocco as the first destination of their international trips – the president toured the Middle East and, among other trips, also visited Mauritania. –, but the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, did travel to Rabat on December 14.
Among the pending issues continues to be the opening of the customs of Melilla and Ceuta with Morocco, which was one of the main agreements of last year’s summit. In any case, the Spanish Government has highlighted the good bilateral relationship that both countries maintain, putting emphasis on a figure of trade exchanges that exceeds 23,000 million euros, and that increases “month by month.” They have also pointed out, among the points of good connection between Spain and Morocco, the fight against irregular migration, police and judicial cooperation, and the planned economic and business projects.
Regarding the customs of Ceuta and Melilla, government sources insist that everything is prepared on their part to put them into operation, while the “last tests” are being carried out on Morocco’s part.
