Interior Minister, Abdelouafi Laftit, held talks Wednesday in Rabat with his Spanish counterpart, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, which focused on the means to reinforce bilateral cooperation in the fight against irregular immigration, drug-trafficking and terrorism. Speaking at a press briefing following the meeting, Laftit commended the «excellent» relations between the two countries, noting that decisions affecting the two neighboring countries «are made in close cooperation» between the two sides. For his part, the Spanish minister welcomed the «direct and sincere» cooperation between the two kingdoms in the areas of the fight against illegal immigration, terrorism and organized crime. He also commended the outcome of cooperation between the two countries in these areas. Spanish and Moroccan security services are working in close cooperation to fight against human trafficking networks, he said, noting the decline in the number of irregular migrants who arrived at the Spanish coasts (-45%). The Spanish minister expressed his gratitude to the Kingdom of Morocco and added that this positive outcome is the result of the mobilization of significant human and financial resources. He also underlined the importance of the leading role of Morocco in the fight against illegal immigration. Regarding the fight against terrorism, the Spanish official stressed that cooperation and coordination between the security services of the two countries helped dismantle several terrorist networks and prevent many operations and criminal acts. The Spanish Minister also mentioned the importance of Moroccan-Spanish cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking and its sources of funding, saying that joint operations between the two parties in this area have brought «positive results».
