Morocco-Spain HLM Reaffirms Excellent Bilateral Dynamics – Spanish FM –

The 12th High Level Meeting (HLM) between Morocco and Spain, held on Wednesday and Thursday in Rabat, is a new reaffirmation of the “excellent dynamics” set in motion between the two countries since last April, underlined the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares. ”The holding of this High Level Meeting, which has not been held for eight years, demonstrates the importance and the excellent dynamics of our relations”, said Albares in an interview to M24, MAP’s news channel. “In this meeting, which I am sure will be a success, there are three essential axes: a strengthened political dialogue, a new economic partnership that will further boost the dynamism of our economic relations, and a structure of agreements in the cultural and educational fields, which will be mutually beneficial so that the Spanish and Moroccan peoples know each other even better on a more solid basis,” Spain’s top diplomat argued. The meeting in Rabat will be an opportunity to ”report on the concrete results” of the new Road Map adopted between the two countries last April, during the visit of the President of the Spanish government, Pedro Sanchez, to Morocco, at the invitation of HM King Mohammed VI, added Albares. “Today, we can see that the joint management of the irregular migration flow has allowed a significant reduction of 31% of arrivals on the Spanish coast, while we note that all migration routes from Africa to Europe are growing exponentially,” he said. In terms of trade, noted the Spanish minister, “we have exceeded the mark of 10 billion euros of Spanish exports and 20 billion euros in global trade,” ensuring that these data show “the confidence and strategic relationship that we are building.” In this context, Albares stressed that strengthening political dialogue has been reflected in the audience granted by HM King Mohammed VI to the President of the Government, Pedro Sanchez, as well as the eight meetings that “I have had with my counterpart, Nasser Bourita, both in Morocco and in Spain.” “We are in constant dialogue at all levels, and the meetings between the various ministers (…) and working groups are leading to concrete results of this new phase’,” said the Spanish minister.