Morocco-Spain: New Roadmap Gives ‘Concrete Results’ in all Areas – Spanish FM –

The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation José Manuel Albares highlighted, Tuesday, the “tangible and concrete results” that the new stage of the relationship with Morocco brings in all areas. The new relationship with Morocco is based on “solid pillars”, stressed Albares before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Spanish Congress of Deputies, ensuring that the results are already visible on the ground. In this regard, the head of Spanish diplomacy emphasized the decrease in irregular immigration, with 69% fewer arrivals in January compared to the same month in 2022 on the Andalusian coast, and 82% in the case of the Canary Islands. “We cooperate in the fight against the mafias that traffic in human beings,” he insisted, noting that “migration must be safe, legal, regular and orderly.” In other areas, Albares noted that collaboration with Morocco has allowed “dismantling six criminal and terrorist networks in the last year and a half.” Morocco and Spain held, on February 1st and 2nd in Rabat, their 12th High Level Meeting, which was marked by a Joint Statement, in which both parties express their commitment to perpetuate the excellent relations that have always linked them and reaffirm their willingness to enrich them permanently. The two parties signed, on this occasion, several cooperation agreements covering various areas, including migration management, tourism, infrastructure, water resources, environment, agriculture, vocational training, social security, transport, health security and research and development.