Spain’s Sánchez to Reassure Morocco on Military Budget Boost During Royal Visit

The Spanish government announced on March 15, just 24 hours after sending its letter to Mohammed VI to declare its support for the Moroccan autonomy plan for the Sahara, that it plans to increase its military budget. This statement was poorly received by the Moroccan authorities, who consider it an arms race on the part of Spain towards the kingdom, according to sources from the Spanish Ministry of Defense to Ok Diario.

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Pedro Sanchez will therefore take advantage of his visit to Rabat on Thursday to reassure the Moroccan monarch that this upward revision of the military budget will not be used to strengthen the security of Ceuta, Melilla and the Canary Islands, but rather that it is a requirement of NATO aimed at strengthening the presence of allies in Eastern Europe.

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According to military sources who have prepared this file for Sanchez, the latter will however propose the strengthening of cooperation between the two countries to deal with the jihadist threat in the Sahel, after the withdrawal of French troops from Mali. The President of the Spanish Government will also have to explain that the increase in the military budget will serve to renew military equipment that is already very dilapidated.