Spain Explores Cooperation with Morocco

Official sources reported today, Wednesday, that "Moroccan King Mohammed VI held discussions in his palace in Rabat with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, addressing a number of issues, primarily the Western Sahara conflict, the organization of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, and the extension of the gas pipeline between Nigeria and Morocco." The royal palace stated in a statement that "Sánchez's working visit today falls within the continuity of the dynamics launched by the new phase of bilateral relations" between the two countries, which was initiated during the meeting between the Moroccan king and the Spanish Prime Minister in April 2022. It was noted that Sánchez "renewed Spain's position as stated in the joint statement of April 2022," supporting the Moroccan autonomy initiative. Currently, Moroccan-Spanish relations are experiencing a revival following a previous diplomatic tension, after Spain announced in 2022 that the Moroccan initiative regarding autonomy in Western Sahara is "the most serious, realistic, and credible for resolving the dispute" there. Spain joined several African and European countries that support the Moroccan initiative in the disputed region of Western Sahara, which has been in contention between Rabat and the Polisario Front since 1976. The "autonomy" proposal stipulates granting the region self-governance under Moroccan sovereignty, but the Polisario Front rejects this and demands the region's independence from Morocco. Algeria supports the Polisario Front.