Spain and Morocco to Hold High-Level Meeting in Rabat, Boosting Bilateral Ties

The Head of Government, El Othmani, announced the news on Twitter, specifying that: "We have the full will to develop cooperation between our countries for the benefit of our peoples." This 12th meeting follows the visit of the King of Spain Felipe VI to Morocco in February 2019, at the end of which 11 strategic cooperation agreements were signed.

On the agenda of this 12th meeting, the revitalization of bilateral relations, particularly in the areas of industry, trade, health, energy and security. Not to mention the delicate situation of maritime borders in the Atlantic, between Dakhla, in southern Morocco, and the Spanish Canary Islands, especially since King Mohammed VI announced on November 7 that Rabat would initiate a dialogue on this subject with Madrid.

The issue of illegal migration could also be addressed, given the growing influx of irregular migrants arriving in the Canary Islands.

In 2019, Spain was Morocco’s leading trade partner. The Kingdom’s trade with its northern neighbor totaled more than $15 billion, or $7.94 billion in imports and $7.07 billion in exports. More than 800 Spanish companies are present in Morocco, while Spain hosts a large Moroccan community of some 800,000 people.