Morocco and Spain strengthen their partnership
The phase of full and fruitful diplomatic relations between Morocco and Spain continues to evolve positively.
The latest episode in the intense and favourable contacts between the two countries involved the foreign ministers of both countries, Nasser Bourita and José Manuel Albares.
The Moroccan and Spanish Foreign Ministers met at the 10th Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations (UNAOC) held in Portugal.
The discussions held during the Forum focused on strengthening ties and reinforcing links between all the participants.
Nasser Bourita and José Manuel Albares analysed the current situation of Spanish-Moroccan relations and reviewed the implementation of agreements reached in the past aimed at benefiting both countries in various sectors.
The two diplomats set out a common vision for ‘moving forward together’ and stressed the importance of strengthening ties between Morocco and Spain over a long period of time.
Morocco and Spain initialled many agreements in different fields under the High Level Meeting held in February 2023 and chaired by the heads of government Aziz Akhannouch and Pedro Sánchez. A meeting at the highest level, facilitated by the roadmap set by King Mohammed VI and Pedro Sánchez himself, who met in Rabat earlier in the framework of the good harmony generated after the Spanish government's decision to recognise the Moroccan kingdom's autonomy proposal for Western Sahara as the most serious, credible and realistic way of resolving the Sahrawi dispute, which has lasted almost 50 years since Spain's departure from the territory, which put an end to the colonial era.
Morocco is very committed to the Western Sahara issue because it has to do with the defence of its territorial integrity as it considers this territory part of its southern provinces. It is a basic issue for the Moroccan kingdom and has put forward an Autonomy Plan that would give Western Sahara a great capacity for self-government and a plan for the future to develop the area to the maximum in all areas, all while respecting United Nations (UN) resolutions.
Morocco's initiative has already received the support of more than 100 countries, including the United States, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, France and Spain, which consider the proposal to be the most serious and credible way to settle the Saharawi territorial issue.
This formula is opposed by the Polisario Front and the self-styled Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), which advocate holding a referendum on independence for the Sahrawi population, an option that has much less support on the international stage.
Thus, the 10th Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations has been yet another opportunity for Morocco and Spain to further deepen their diplomatic relations.
The 10th Global Forum of the UNAOC took place during three intense political days and provided a platform for high-level debates on very relevant issues such as peace, security and intercultural dialogue.
The event in Portugal was attended by various personalities such as the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, the UNAOC High Representative, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, King Felipe VI of Spain and the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
André Azoulay highlights Morocco's role as a peacemaker and tolerant country
André Azoulay, advisor to His Majesty the King of Morocco, also took part in the 10th Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations.
He said that Morocco has made peace and respect for diversity key points of its modernity and leadership, highlighting the leading role that the Moroccan kingdom now plays on the international stage. ‘Morocco has never been so legitimate and listened to by the Community of Nations as it is today,’ Azoulay declared, highlighting the important role of King Mohammed VI.
In his speech on the theme ‘United in peace for another future’, André Azoulay indicated that ‘in a time and space where the deadly illusions of exclusion and denial of the other are flourishing, Morocco embodies what the Alliance of Civilisations wants to say to the world, the listening to all narratives and respect for the identity, history and spirituality of each one’.
‘What other country today can bring together thousands of Muslims, Jews and Christians who meet in the land of Islam, as Morocco does, for the joy of being together and to express their commitment to the universality of peace and the primacy of life,’ he said, in words reported by Morocco's official news agency MAP.
‘This is a reality that Morocco embodies, remaining faithful to all the paradigms and criteria that are part of a culture of peace nourished by the same justice and dignity for all,’ added Azoulay, who was a member of the High Level Group created more than twenty years ago by the United Nations to create the Alliance of Civilisations.