Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is facing criticism from some Spanish politicians and media after his meeting with Polisario leader Brahim Ghali during the EU-AU summit. They accuse him of bogging down Rabat and Madrid in the diplomatic crisis.
The former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arancha González Laya , reaffirmed on Thursday that the entry into Spain of Brahim Ghali, the leader of the Polisario Front, was a "political" decision justified by Spain’s legendary "humanitarian tradition".
The Moroccan Consulate General in Liège and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg organized, on Saturday, a mobile consular service to allow the Moroccan community residing in Charleroi and the surrounding area to benefit from various administrative services.
The President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sanchez, met on Thursday with the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, during the EU-Africa Summit in Brussels. A first since the start of the crisis.
Morocco and Germany have committed to establishing "close and friendly relations" and to initiate a new dialogue to "overcome misunderstandings in their relations".
The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, reiterated that Spain and Morocco are gradually working to build a "21st century relationship", stressing that the most important thing is the "final result".
To facilitate communication during this period of tension in Ukraine, the Moroccan embassy in Kiev has set up two toll-free green numbers for Moroccans to address all their concerns.
Brahim Ghali, leader of the Polisario independence movement and president of the "Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR)", would be expected at the sixth European Union-African Union summit, which Morocco will also attend. His possible attendance at this meeting could undermine relations between Europe and the kingdom.
Relations with Morocco are improving at a suitable pace, according to the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which stresses that Spain has opted for discretion to avoid ruining the efforts made.
The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, on a visit to the United Arab Emirates, assured that Morocco is a "strategic ally" with which Spain maintains "a very positive relationship".
The Moroccan authorities have decided to clean up the embassy in Madrid. Ambassador Karima Benyaich’s team has been affected by this major housecleaning.
The head of the Spanish Executive, Pedro Sanchez, has been negotiating since last summer a meeting with King Mohammed VI to smooth out the edges and restore diplomatic relations. But for the moment, the initiative is struggling to materialize.