Moroccan Officials Skip Spain’s National Day Reception in Rabat
Senior Moroccan officials expected at a reception hosted by the Spanish Embassy in Rabat on Monday did not attend. Their absence was notable on the eve of Felipe VI’s visit to Sebta and Melilla, as the two countries enter a new period of diplomatic tensions.
The most eagerly awaited Moroccan guests were absent. On Monday, October 12, the Spanish Embassy in Rabat celebrated Spain’s National Day without the senior Moroccan government officials who usually attend the reception. According to the daily El País, their attendance had been expected. The ceremony also took place without the Spanish ambassador’s traditional speech.
On Bladi.net : Spanish King to Visit Ceuta and Melilla as Morocco Stays Silent
The absence comes at a sensitive point in the diplomatic calendar. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia are traveling to Sebta on Tuesday, October 13, before continuing their visit to Melilla on Wednesday. It is the first time in nearly twenty years that a Spanish monarch has made an official visit to both cities, whose sovereignty Morocco claims.
The newspaper El Español reports that negotiations to form Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri’s new government have been cited as the reason for the absence of high-level Moroccan representation. The incoming head of government had announced a coalition agreement between four parties on Monday evening.
A very different response from 2007
The Spanish press has linked the absence to the royal visit to Sebta and Melilla. Relations between Rabat and Madrid remain marked by the July migration crisis, while the Spanish government had long feared the consequences of a visit by Felipe VI.
But the contrast with November 2007 is significant. At the time, the visit by Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía prompted an official protest from Morocco. Rabat recalled its ambassador to Madrid, Omar Azziman, for nearly two months. Mohammed VI publicly condemned the visit.
On Bladi.net : Felipe VI to Visit Ceuta and Melilla After Years of Spanish Government Concern Over Morocco’s Reaction
This time, Morocco has not recalled its ambassador, and no official statement protesting Felipe VI’s trip has been issued. In his recent speech before Parliament, Mohammed VI criticized the management of migration relations with Spain and called for a review of cooperation agreements, without mentioning the Spanish monarch’s visit.
