Spain’s Algeciras Port Eager for Morocco Ties to Boost Passenger Traffic

"We have a lot of interests at stake, from an economic and commercial point of view," Landaluce said at a press conference, stressing that the restoration of relations with Morocco "would lead to the resumption of maritime passenger traffic with the port of Tanger Med and Tangier city, suspended since March 2020 due to the health crisis, then diplomatic tensions."

To read: Spanish Port of Algeciras Anticipates Reopening of Passenger Ferry Routes to Morocco

This situation has cost APBA some ten million passengers over the past two years, Landaluce recalled, adding that "Spain is Morocco’s leading trading partner, to which it exports 8 billion euros worth of goods, or nearly a third of Spain’s exports to the African continent."

To read: Spanish Port of Algeciras Prepares for Return of Moroccan Diaspora Transit Operation

Landaluce fervently hopes that the visit of Minister Albares to Rabat on April 1 will allow to know "the exact date of the resumption of maritime traffic" as well as that of the holding of the Marhaba Operation, canceled in 2020 and 2021, in order to finalize the preparations at the level of the port community which has spent two years without activities.

Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares will make this first official trip to Morocco, after Pedro Sanchez addressed a letter to King Mohammed VI to express Spain’s support for Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Sahara.