Morocco and Spain hold a Rabat Summit where the two nations attempt to relieve tensions regarding migration and territory. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that officials from both countries agreed to set aside their differences to repair their relationship.
During a speech on Thursday, he said that both sides have already signed roughly 20 agreements that seek to boost trade and investment, including credit lines of up to $869 million.
Morocco, Spain Relations
Sanchez noted that the two countries' governments agreed on a commitment to mutual respect where they will attempt to avoid everything they know to offend the other party. This is especially true for their respective spheres of sovereignty. The summit comes as there have been regular diplomatic crises over Spain's enclaves in North Africa, Morocco's issues with rebels over the Western Sahara region, and migrants and refugees arriving in Spain every year traveling through Morocco.
While Morocco continuously refuses to recognize Spanish sovereignty over the enclaves Ceuta and Melilla, the two countries agreed last year to open the first customs control point at Ceuta, as per Al Jazeera.
Madrid authorities say that the decision reflects Rabat's recognition of the enclaves as foreign territory. However, Morocco has yet to issue a public statement that indicates its long-held stance that the enclaves should be part of its territory has shifted.
Prime Minister Sanches, in March 2022, restored cordial relations with Rabat after he moved to reverse Spain's policy on the disputed territory of Western Sahara. He backed Morocco's proposal to create an autonomous region.
A North Africa specialist at the Institute of Saharan Studies Al Andalous, Yasmine Hasnaoui, said that Sanchez's visit to Rabat showed a resetting relationship between the two countries. She added that it ushers in a new era mainly due to a clear-cut roadmap following Spain's acknowledgment of the historical sovereignty of Morocco.
Agreements To Relieve Tensions
Sanchez visited Morocco with 11 of his ministers, where they sought to establish the bases for the kind of bilateral relationship they seek now and in the future. The two countries also worked together to establish a new communication pathway that would allow the two sides to discuss urgent issues in private, no matter how complicated they are, according to AA.
Among the 20 agreements, the nations signed was one where officials would find new ways of "regulated migration" and attempt to normalize circulation between the two territories. Also, the hundreds of millions of dollars in credit lines will be used to invest in strategic sectors in Morocco, such as agriculture, rail, water, and tourism.
Prime Minister Sanchez said both nations would benefit if they transitioned to green energy. However, a leader within Spain's conservative Popular Party, Elias Bendodo, noted that the agreements show that the prime minister is an "international lightweight" as he did not share the optimism of better relations with Morocco.
Furthermore, Spanish authorities are discussing how to remove Morocco from a gray list of money laundering countries, said one government source. Last month, a delegation from the Financial Action Task Force, a Paris-based global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog, visited Morocco. It is also expected to announce a decision later this month on whether the country can be removed from the list, said US News.
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