Spain and Morocco seek to restore tentative relations at Rabat summit | – #Spain #Morocco #seek #restore #tentative #relations #Rabat #summit
RABAT, Feb 2 (Reuters) – Spain and Morocco have agreed to put aside their differences, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Thursday as they sought to mend relations often marked by disputes over migration and territory.
At the summit held in Rabat, Sánchez announced a 800 million euro (873 million dollars) up to credit including lines to increase trade and investment 20said that he had signed an agreement until
“We have agreed on the obligation of mutual respect, so that in our discourse and political we will refrain from anything that we know in our experience offends the other side, especially regarding the relevant areas of our sovereignty,” Sanchez said.
There have been regular diplomatic crises over Spain’s enclaves in Africa, Morocco’s dispute with rebels over Western Sahara, and thousands of illegal migrants arriving in Spain through Morocco each year.
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Morocco refuses to recognize Spain’s sovereignty over Ceuta and Melilla, but last year the two countries first in Ceuta customs they agreed on the opening of the checkpoint.
Madrid says this reflects Rabat’s recognition of the enclaves as foreign territory, but Morocco has made no public statements indicating a change in its long-standing position that the enclaves are part of its territory.
Sánchez restored cordial relations with Rabat in March 2022 after backing Morocco’s bid to create an autonomous region after former colonial master Spain reversed four decades of Western Sahara policy.
Making peace between neighbors forced Sánchez’s socialists into some uncomfortable positions.
Last month Europe Deputies of Parliament Europe They voted against a resolution in its parliament calling on Morocco to improve its record on press freedom. Europe Parliamentarian Juan Fernando López said this week that maintaining good neighborly relations sometimes means “swallowing the frog”.
Spain’s approach to Western Sahara has angered Algeria, an ally of the Polisario Front, which has cut off trade with Spain and tightened ties with Italy. gas Even if he builds relationships, of course gas warned that it could cut off the flow.
According to the Ministry of Industry, in 2022 january– in November, Spain’s exports to Algeria decreased by 41% compared to a year ago 1 billion to the euro (1.09 billion dollars) fell. In the same period, its exports to Morocco increased by 27% 10,8 billion reached the euro.
Spain expects to receive a significant portion of the 45 billion euros Morocco will invest in infrastructure improvements by 2050, a Spanish government source said.
According to him, Spanish companies are well positioned to win concessions in key sectors of Rabat’s development plan, such as water sanitation and renewable energy.
State-owned iron way operators Renfe and Adif with their Moroccan counterparts means a 6 billion euro business.
Spain is discussing how to remove Morocco from its gray list of money-laundering countries, another government source said. A delegation from the Financial Action Task Force, the Paris-based global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog, visited Morocco last month. trip it did and is expected to announce its decision on whether to delist Morocco later this month.
In Rabat on Thursday, Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch expressed satisfaction with Spain’s support for Morocco’s autonomy plan as the “most reliable solution” to resolve the Western Sahara dispute, but did not refer to a deal that would set aside all sovereignty disputes.
The joint declaration did not mention Spain’s enclaves in Morocco, although it reiterated Spain’s new position on Western Sahara. Morocco said it expected Spain’s upcoming presidency of the European Union to mean it could act as a conduit for better relations with the bloc.
Both countries agreed to cooperate on the repatriation of illegal migrants.
($1 = 0.9168 euros)
Reporting by Belén Carreño and Ahmed Eljechtimi; Written by Charlie Devereux; Edited by Gareth Jones, Aislinn Laing, Nick Macfie and Jonathan Oatis
Our standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
2023-02-04 01:04:53
Source – reuters
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