Morocco and Spain are expanding their partnership areas with the signing of new agreements in Madrid
In the framework of strengthening the strategic partnership uniting Rabat and Madrid, Aziz Akhannouch, Head of Government, and Pedro Sánchez, President of the Spanish Government, supervised the signing of a set of agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) covering multiple sectors this Thursday at the La Moncloa complex, on the occasion of the 13th High Level Meeting between the two countries. This step confirms the commitment of both Kingdoms to consolidate their bilateral ties and establish a climate of mutual trust and continuous coordination in areas of common interest.
Diplomatic and Institutional Cooperation Agreements
On behalf of the Moroccan side, Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Residing Abroad, and José Manuel Albares, Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, signed:
• An MoU on feminist foreign policy.
• An MoU on cooperation in diplomatic training.
• An MoU concerning a training mobility program intended for young diplomats.
The two ministers also signed a Declaration of Intent relating to cooperation in the exchange of information, expertise, and best practices concerning the digital production and electronic publication of legislative and regulatory texts, between the Spanish National Agency of the Official State Gazette and the Official Printing Press of the Kingdom of Morocco.
Added to this is an MoU on cooperation in the field of documentary heritage and digitization.
Justice, Taxation, and Combating Hate Speech
Concurrently, José Manuel Albares and Abdellatif Ouahbi, Moroccan Minister of Justice, signed an MoU concerning the electronic sending and receiving of requests for judicial cooperation.
Nadia Fettah Alaoui, Minister of Economy and Finance, also signed an MoU related to cooperation in tax matters with the same Spanish Minister.
The two Heads of Government then supervised the signing of:
• A Declaration of Intent for cooperation in combating hate speech.
• An MoU between the National Geographic Institute of Spain and the Moroccan National Center for Scientific and Technical Research.
• An MoU in the fields of agriculture and agri-food industries, signed by Luis Planas, Spanish Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, and Ahmed Bouari, Moroccan Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development, and Water and Forests.
Maritime Fishing, Education, Sport, and Social Protection
In the maritime fishing sector, Zakia Drouich, Secretary of State in charge of Maritime Fishing, signed an MoU with her Spanish counterpart concerning cooperation in fishing, aquaculture development, and the fight against illegal fishing.
Pilar Alegría, Spanish Minister of Education, Vocational Training and Sport, signed an international administrative agreement with Mohamed Saad Berrada, Moroccan Minister of National Education, regarding the teaching of the Arabic language and Moroccan culture in Spanish educational institutions located in Morocco, in addition to an MoU on cooperation in the field of sport.
Amine Tahraoui, Minister of Health and Social Protection, also signed an MoU on social protection and social solidarity with Elma Saiz, Spanish Minister of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration.
A New Milestone in a Constantly Evolving Strategic Relationship
The agreements signed this Thursday clearly illustrate the solidity and depth of bilateral relations between Morocco and Spain, relations that have experienced a remarkable upswing since April 2022, marked by Madrid’s change of position on the issue of the Moroccan Sahara in favor of the autonomy plan.
This partnership, long described as “traditional,” has now transformed into a comprehensive strategic alliance, based on close coordination in the political, economic, social, and security domains, opening the way for a new era of exemplary cooperation between the two neighboring countries.
Editorial team/le7tv
