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The King urged Morocco on Monday to “begin to materialize now” a new relationship with Spain, “on stronger and more solid pillars”. In his traditional reception to the accredited diplomatic corps in Madrid, Felipe VI stressed that the governments of the two countries “have agreed to jointly redefine a relationship for the 21st century”, with the aim of “finding solutions to the problems that concern our peoples ” and have summoned the two countries to “walk together” to launch their new relationship. It is the first time that Felipe VI publicly refers to a diplomatic crisis that has lasted eight months.
Some 130 guests have participated in the traditional reception for the accredited diplomatic corps in Madrid held at the Royal Palace although, due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, only 40 have entered the Throne Room; among them, the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares. One of the absentees has been the Moroccan ambassador, Karima Benyaich, whom Rabat called for consultations last May and has not yet returned, so the charge d’affaires has gone in her place. This absence shows that, despite the good words on the part of Mohamed VI, relations have not yet normalized. Spain wants guarantees that episodes such as the entry of more than 10,000 immigrants in Ceuta last May will not be repeated; while Rabat wants Spain to come closer to its position on the Sahara conflict, where it proposes an autonomous regime as an alternative to self-determination.
The King stressed that “the relationship with the Maghreb is of a strategic nature for Spain”, which has a “clear interdependence” with the neighboring region, given its “closeness” and the “intensity of the multiple links” between both shores of the Mediterranean . Spain “will continue to make all the necessary efforts to create and consolidate a common area of peace, stability and prosperity” in North Africa, he added, referring to the tension between Morocco and Algeria, which has led to the breakdown of diplomatic relations between the two countries. “Our action is based on sincere and respectful ties of friendship and cooperation that we want to continue preserving and strengthening with the whole of the Euro-Mediterranean region”, he stressed.
In the speech in which he outlines the priorities of Spanish diplomacy for the new year, the Head of State warned that “migration will continue to be a priority for our foreign action” and that this phenomenon, “given its structural nature, must be approached with a strategic vision, in solidarity and in a coordinated manner with our EU partners”. It is about migration being “a safe event for migrants and orderly for the States that have to manage it,” he insisted.
On the eve of the visit that the King and Queen will make to Puerto Rico next week, on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the founding of their capital. San Juan, has highlighted “the historic relations” of Spain with the United States, with whom it shares “values and interests”. In the midst of the escalation of tension with Moscow, due to the concentration of Russian troops in eastern Ukraine, he has described Russia as a “relevant actor for the stability of the region”, but has warned that “respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the States are inalienable requirements to build fruitful and peaceful relations. Respect for borders is the basis of peace in Europe”.
The King announced the opening in Madrid of a regional delegation of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office ―the first of its kind in Africa was opened in Morocco in June― and welcomed the celebration in the Spanish capital next month of June, from the NATO summit from which its new Strategic Concept should come out and “a powerful signal of unity and cohesion that supports the reinforcement of the Alliance’s deterrence and defense”.
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