Pedro Sanchez’s Visit to Morocco Has Political & Strategic Importance

The visit of President of the Spanish government, Pedro Sanchez, “has political and strategic importance,” political scientist Cherkaoui Roudani said.    This visit testifies to the “mutual political, economic and diplomatic commitment” of Morocco and Spain to “strategically strengthen bilateral relations”, the expert in geopolitics and security told MAP.    This visit, which comes one year after the high-level bilateral meeting in Rabat, marked by the signing of 19 agreements in various areas such as security, economy, health and education, “takes place in a context marked by intense mobilization of the two countries to strengthen their exceptional ties”, a momentum “driven by a holistic vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to build Mediterranean relations on strong, lasting and fair foundations”.    Based on “strategic determinism”, this momentum paves the way for new cooperation opportunities, such as the joint organization, alongside Portugal, of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, symbolizing unity and collaboration between the two countries, the expert said, adding that the Mediterranean geopolitics is experiencing deep changes, requiring “sustainable and holistic cooperation”.    He recalled that faced with the geostrategic challenges in the Sahel, Morocco is committed through an Atlantic vision to contributing to the development of Africa, “which has an international importance, particularly for European countries impacted by events in West Africa and the Sahel”.    In this context, he considers that strengthening relations between Morocco and Spain is key to take up Mediterranean and African geopolitical challenges, based on the conviction that this multidimensional cooperation will contribute to promoting peace and security in the Mediterranean in a changing world.    “Thus, Rabat-Madrid cooperation will play a key strategic role in bringing together the two shores of the Mediterranean, and can serve as an innovative model for the rapprochement between the South and the North,” he underlined.    For the political scientist, their exemplary coopetition is reflected in the security area in which Morocco and Spain collaborate in the fight against terrorism, illegal trafficking and illegal immigration.    “This security relationship is based on the deep strategic partnership between the two countries, which needs to consolidate the achievements to face emerging challenges,” he added.