The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, ratified this Thursday at the bilateral summit with Morocco his full support for the country's position on the future of Western Sahara, and praised its exemplary and loyal cooperation in the fight against irregular immigration.
Sánchez, alongside his Moroccan counterpart Aziz Ajanuch, presided over the XIII High-Level Meeting between the two countries at the Moncloa Palace, where the current good rapport was certified with the signing of fourteen cooperation agreements in various fields.This good current relationship is the result of Spain's change in position on the Sahara, with Sánchez supporting Morocco's autonomy plans in 2022, which have the UN's approval after the Security Council passed a resolution on October 31st considering that "genuine autonomy could represent the most feasible outcome" for that territorySánchez has once again made his support for Morocco clear, as reflected in the joint declaration signed by both countries on the occasion of the summit and in which Spain expresses its satisfaction with that United Nations resolution
A position that openly clashes with that of its coalition partner, Sumar, whose representative and second vice president, Yolanda Díaz, released a video during the summit in which she expressed her rejection of the turn taken by Sánchez.
Díaz assured this Thursday that she is not going to "cede an inch of Sahrawi land" and exclaimed in her message: "Today and always, long live free Sahara".No minister from Sumar participated in the summit, which was attended by the third vice president and head of Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen, and five other ministers: Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares; Transport, Óscar Puente; Education, Pilar Alegría; Agriculture, Luis Planas; and Inclusion, Elma Saiz.
Morocco's Opening
All of them have held meetings with their respective Moroccan counterparts in parallel to the meeting between Sánchez and Akhannouch, and at the end of the meeting, the joint declaration was made public, which includes Spain's applause for Morocco's "dynamic of openness, progress, and modernity" thanks to the reforms promoted by King Mohammed VI.
In addition to agreeing on the commitment to the two-state solution in the Middle East conflict and their support for the
Palestinian National Authority, the two countries highlight the importance of their comprehensive migratory cooperation and the contribution of immigrants to host countriesRegarding this, there has been a commitment to reinforce cooperation in the fight against irregular immigration, human trafficking, document fraud, and the trade of human beings, and Spain, as stated in the declaration, appreciates Morocco's "exemplary and loyal cooperation" in this areaRegarding customs cooperation, Spain and Morocco welcome the implementation of the 2022 agreement and the cooperation between their respective customs administrations, while proposing to strengthen it
The signed agreements cover the digitalization and modernization of public administrations, educational cooperation in Spanish-owned centers in Morocco, and sports collaboration.
2030 Football World Cup
In that context, Sánchez has called for taking advantage of the opportunities that the joint organization of the 2030 Football World Cup by Spain, Morocco, and Portugal will offer.
Another agreement strengthens cooperation in the prevention and response to hate speech, working together to combat the proliferation of xenophobic messages on social media.
Diplomacy, the promotion of sustainable agriculture, the fight against illegal fishing, and cooperation to study the seismicity of the Strait of Gibraltar area have also been the subject of several agreements
The Government has reported on the content of the summit in a press release and by making public the text signed by the two countries, but there has been no press conference or statements from the two heads of government
In response, the Federation of Associations of Journalists of Spain (FAPE) has lamented the informational "opacity" that has been generated around this summit, and the Association of the Press of Madrid has lamented that they intend to turn journalists into "mere spectators of an act of great significance." (photo)(Video)
