Morocco Sees Spain as ‘Trusted Partner and Ally’, FM Says

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Upon HM King Mohammed VI’s high instructions, Morocco considers Spain as a “trusted partner” and “ally,” said Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, on Wednesday in New York, stressing that the two countries will work, in a positive spirit and with ambition, to give more vigor to their bilateral relations. “The Instructions of His Majesty the King are clear: Morocco considers Spain as a trusted partner and ally. We will work in a positive spirit to implement, with ambition, all the commitments defined by His Majesty the King and the President of the Spanish government to make these relations strong,” said Bourita in a statement to the press after his talks with his Spanish counterpart, José Manuel Albares. Relations between Rabat and Madrid, as stated by HM the King, have reached a new and unprecedented stage, based on mutual respect, strong ambition, in addition to the implementation of common commitments to serve the interests of both countries and for regional peace and stability, he stressed. The minister also said that the talks with his Spanish counterpart were an opportunity to take stock of what has been achieved under the Joint Declaration at the end of discussions between His Majesty King Mohammed VI and the President of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez, and the audience that HM the King granted him last April. “We found that several points contained in this Declaration have been achieved,” he said, adding that all working groups have met four times and will hold two more meetings next month. Bourita has also highlighted the dynamics of visits between the ministers of both countries, focused on a multitude of strategic sectors. He said in this regard that the two sides have agreed to convene the High Joint Committee before the end of the year, stressing that this meeting will mark an important step in the dynamics of Moroccan-Spanish relations. Held on the sidelines of the 77th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, these talks between Bourita and Albares took place in the presence of Morocco’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN, Omar Hilale, the Ambassador Director General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Fouad Yazourh, and the Ambassador, Director General of the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation, Mohamed Methqal.