Summit Meeting between the Moroccan Monarch and the Spanish Prime Minister
The Spanish Prime Minister reaffirmed to King Mohammed VI Spain's commitment to its steadfast position on the autonomy initiative under Moroccan sovereignty as the sole realistic solution to the artificial conflict in the Sahara
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez reiterated Wednesday during a meeting with King Mohammed VI at the royal palace in Rabat, his country’s firm stance, as stated in the joint statement of April 2022, on the autonomy initiative in the Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty, considering it the most serious, realistic, and credible basis for settling the conflict concocted by the Polisario Front.
Sánchez arrived earlier in Rabat at the head of a high-level delegation including ministers, businessmen, and heads of major Spanish companies, on a working visit as part of the continuity of the dynamic launched by the new phase of bilateral relations inaugurated since the summit between the Moroccan monarch and the Spanish Prime Minister in April 2022.
The summit concluded with the adoption of the joint statement between the two countries, while this dynamic in bilateral relations continues in a satisfactory manner.
King Mohammed VI expressed his gratitude to Spain on Wednesday to Sánchez for its new constructive and important stance on the Sahara issue, which supports Morocco’s sovereignty over all its southern provinces and the integrity of its territory.
Relations between the two countries are characterized by enhancing cooperation, coordination, and partnership in all areas based on principles of trust, mutual respect, ambition, good neighborliness, and commitment fulfillment.
During Wednesday’s meeting, King Mohammed VI and Pedro Sánchez emphasized the unique prospects for open cooperation between the two neighboring countries, with the joint organization – with Portugal – of the 2030 FIFA World Cup serving as an additional lever to enhance it.
The second summit meeting between the two leaders is expected to give a stronger impetus to cooperation and partnership relations between the two countries, as both sides seek to elevate them to the highest level to serve common interests and aspirations of their peoples.
The Spanish Prime Minister praised the strategic initiatives launched by King Mohammed VI, including the Atlantic initiative allowing African countries access to the Atlantic, while putting in place the necessary infrastructure and ports to support openness in service of development objectives and communication between African and European countries through the Moroccan gateway.
Sánchez also highlighted his country’s interest in Moroccan initiatives, especially the initiative of the African countries bordering the Atlantic and the royal initiative to strengthen access of coastal countries to the Atlantic, according to the official Moroccan news agency.
He also emphasized Madrid’s interest in the Atlantic Gas Pipeline project from Nigeria to Morocco, a promising project that has attracted significant international interest.
This project will contribute to economic integration in West Africa in addition to the current pipeline network supplying Europe. Upon completion, it is expected to achieve a radical advancement in accelerating access to energy for countries, improving living conditions for populations, supporting regional economic integration, and combating desertification by providing sustainable and reliable gas supply.
The summit meeting between King Mohammed VI and Pedro Sánchez was attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the European Union and Cooperation, Arancha González Laya, and the Secretary-General of Foreign Affairs of the Spanish government.
On the Moroccan side, the meeting was attended by Fouad Ali El Himma, advisor to King Mohammed VI, and Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita.
Sánchez’s visit to Morocco confirms the solidity of bilateral relations and complements the trajectory of enhanced cooperation following the April 2022 meeting, while Madrid and Rabat express a strong desire for broader and stronger openness to strengthen partnership relations between the two countries.
