Morocco and Spain, which enjoy «some of the closest and richest relations in the world», are now united by a «strategic and multidimensional partnership», said Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares. «The strategic partnership between Morocco and Spain is now a multidimensional partnership, because it covers all areas», thanks to the roadmap adopted in April 2022 during the visit of the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sanchez, to Morocco, at the invitation of King Mohammed VI, stressed, in an exclusive interview to MAP news agency, Albares, who will pay a visit to Morocco on Wednesday and Thursday. «This partnership between the two countries is reflected first and foremost in the trust we place in each other as strategic partners with very high-level political relations and increasingly close human relations», noted Spain's top diplomat, adding that «these fundamentals have made relations between Morocco and Spain one of the densest and richest in the world». Morocco is «the top priority of Spanish foreign policy. With Morocco, we truly have a privileged partnership, a win-win partnership», said Albares, adding that «all the measures we undertake together are beneficial to both countries». In this respect, the cooperation between Rabat and Madrid in the fight against human trafficking mafias and the fight against terrorism is an example for other countries, noted Albares, who commended the continuing development of trade relations and the ongoing political dialogue between the two countries. «Our trade has literally soared. But most importantly, we have strengthened our political and human relations more than ever before. These are the foundations on which we are now building this relationship of strategic partnership», said Albares. In this context, he gave a «very positive» assessment of the Roadmap between Morocco and Spain adopted in April 2022. «The results of the roadmap are obviously very positive. We have strengthened the strategic partnership. Friendly relations between our two countries have reached a historic level, which is reflected in a number of areas», he noted. Albares pointed out that trade between the two countries has reached 20 billion euros, recalling that Spain is Morocco's leading customer and supplier, while the Kingdom is Spain's third-largest trading partner outside the EU, after the United States and the United Kingdom. The other aspect of Moroccan-Spanish cooperation concerns security and judicial cooperation in the fight against mafias involved in human trafficking and terrorism, which sets an example for other countries and which has also been consolidated by this new roadmap, stressed Spain's top diplomat. In addition, «the human ties between the two countries have been strengthened», he added, pointing out that «more than a million Moroccans live in perfect integration in our country and contribute to Spain's prosperity».
