Morocco-Spain Relations Thaw: Ambassador Returns, Maritime Links on Agenda

The Rabat-Madrid axis has taken a new start after King Mohammed VI announced that Morocco wishes to inaugurate "an unprecedented stage" in relations with Spain, based on "trust, transparency, mutual consideration and respect for commitments." Karima Benyaich, Morocco’s ambassador to Spain recalled for consultation, will soon be back in Madrid. Upon her arrival in the capital of the Iberian peninsula, she will prepare the next high-level meeting between the two countries, scheduled for last December but postponed several times, reports El País. The issue of the restoration of maritime lines would also be under study.

The wish of Morocco to inaugurate "an unprecedented stage" in relations with its neighbor has been well received in Madrid. "I believe that every crisis brings an opportunity. And I believe that the speech of His Majesty the King constitutes a great opportunity to redefine the relations between the two countries and the pillars on which they rest," stressed the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, during a press conference. However, this "ambient optimism" could be ephemeral if several thorny issues, such as the closure of the borders of Ceuta and Melilla, the migration issue, the trade exchanges of agricultural products and others, as well as the revision of the Spanish government’s position on the Moroccan Sahara issue, are not resolved, analyzes Al Ahdath Al Maghribia.