Albares assures Morocco that Spain's position on the Sahara "has not changed"
The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, has reiterated in Rabat his country's position on the question of Western Sahara.
"Spain's position on the question of the Sahara has not changed. It is what is already expressed in the Joint Declaration, adopted on 7 April 2022, and in the Declaration sanctioning the 12th session of the Morocco-Spain High Level Meeting (RHN) in February 2023", Albares declared during a joint press conference with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, as reported by the Moroccan news agency MAP.
Productiva reunión con mi colega marroquí, Nasser Bourita, para abordar nuestras relaciones políticas, económicas, de cooperación.
— José Manuel Albares (@jmalbares) December 14, 2023
Seguimos avanzando en todos los puntos de la declaración hispano-marroquí, consolidando el mejor momento en la relación España-Marruecos en décadas. pic.twitter.com/4Bty3q1R6t
The Joint Declaration mentioned by Albares was adopted on 7 April 2022 during the meeting between the King of Morocco, Mohamed VI, and the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez. It states that Spain considers the Moroccan autonomy initiative, presented in 2007, as the 'most serious, realistic and credible' basis for the resolution of this dispute.
In this way, Madrid recognises the importance of the Sahara issue for Morocco, as well as Morocco's serious and credible efforts within the framework of the United Nations to find a mutually acceptable solution to the conflict.
Visito el Colegio Español de Rabat: la calidad y mejores valores de nuestra educación pública también están en Marruecos.
— José Manuel Albares (@jmalbares) December 14, 2023
La educación y nuestros profesores favorecen los lazos humanos y refuerzan la comprensión mutua y nuestra amistad a través de las nuevas generaciones. pic.twitter.com/2EN3FNVKcq
Bourita, for his part, pointed out after the meeting with Albares that Morocco's assessment of the Spanish-Moroccan road map is positive. The head of Moroccan diplomacy also assured that Spanish-Moroccan relations are going through their best moments in decades. "What has been achieved since 7 April 2022 has never been recorded," Bourita stressed at the press conference.
Both sides addressed issues of common interest related to bilateral relations, such as the situation of the dunes in Ceuta and Melilla. In this respect, Bourita stated that their opening "is not a problem of commitment or politics, it is a problem of technical implementation". Albares stressed that on Spain's part, "everything is ready", according to RTVE.
🇲🇦-🇪🇸| M. Nasser Bourita a reçu, aujourd'hui à Rabat, le ministre espagnol des Affaires Etrangères, de l'Union Européenne et de la Coopération, M. José Manuel Albares.@jmalbares @MAECgob @MoroccoInESP @EmbEspanaRabat pic.twitter.com/PmEXomdOtX
— Maroc Diplomatie 🇲🇦 (@MarocDiplomatie) December 14, 2023
In addition to Bourita, Albares has met with the Prime Minister of Morocco, Aziz Akhannouch, as well as with local Hispanists and members of the Spanish Cooperation in Morocco. Later, he is expected to meet with businessmen working in the Kingdom.
Los idiomas y la cultura tienden puentes y fomentan el entendimiento mutuo.
— José Manuel Albares (@jmalbares) December 13, 2023
He mantenido un fructífero encuentro con hispanistas marroquíes para abordar un presente y futuro pujante del español en Marruecos. Su labor es clave en la promoción de nuestro idioma y cultura. pic.twitter.com/vmQG4fzyXQ
According to the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Albares' trip to Rabat is aimed at promoting political, economic, cultural and development cooperation relations. Likewise, in the words of the minister himself during an interview with MAP, the purpose of the visit is to "relaunch the agenda or roadmap that Spain and Morocco have built, which is multidimensional".
