Morocco clarifies position on recent tensions with Spain

Rabat – The Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates has clarified the country's stance on recent tensions with Spain in a statement, reaffirming a commitment to a relationship built on mutual respect, trust, and collaboration. The Kingdom of Morocco has chosen to engage with Spain as a neighbor, political ally, economic partner, and security force, a relationship that was further solidified by the Joint Declaration in April 2022.

This approach has led to tangible results in areas such as economics, security, and migration coordination.

The Ministry emphasized that the Kingdom of Morocco and Spain have worked proactively to foster what unites them and address their differences with calm and respect, highlighting the success in economic cooperation (with Spain being Morocco's leading economic partner) and security cooperation (including the dismantling of terrorist and criminal networks, often at the cost of Moroccan casualties). They also noted the effective coordination on migration issues.

However, the Ministry questioned the continued accusations against Morocco without any evidence, the refusal to return illegal migrants despite Morocco's official commitment, and the detention of unaccompanied minors from their families. These actions, the Ministry argued, are driven by political motives rather than factual evidence.

Additionally, Morocco expressed regret that some Spanish political and media circles are using the Kingdom for domestic political gains, and criticized certain legislative and judicial institutions for falling into discords caused by ill-advised initiatives. The Ministry stressed that the Kingdom of Morocco will not be used as a political tool or scapegoat in pre-election tactics, emphasizing that geographical proximity should be an asset for the future, but strategic blindness could turn this into a source of mistrust and recurring tensions.