Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has placed Morocco at the heart of the European Union’s southern neighborhood policy, calling for strengthened strategic partnerships to promote regional stability and shared prosperity.
Speaking at the opening of Spain’s Ambassador Conference in Madrid on Thursday, Sánchez stressed that bolstering relations with Morocco is a top priority for Spanish and EU foreign policy in 2026. The conference, held under the theme “Spain, Global Actor,” brought together Spanish ambassadors accredited abroad for the January 8–9 gathering.
“It is urgent that the European Union updates its cooperation instruments to consolidate a peaceful and secure southern neighborhood,” Sánchez declared. He added that Spain intends to propose “enhanced strategic partnerships” with key partner countries, specifically naming Morocco, Senegal, and Mauritania, to the European Commission in the coming months.
Sánchez emphasized that these partnerships should be based on understanding, dialogue, and mutual respect within a “particularly complex” global geopolitical context.
The prime minister’s remarks come one month after the successful 13th High-Level Meeting between Morocco and Spain in Madrid on December 4, 2025, which resulted in the signing of 14 cooperation agreements covering economic, social, diplomatic, agricultural, and security sectors. During the meeting, Sánchez received his Moroccan counterpart, Aziz Akhannouch, at the Moncloa Palace, where both leaders reaffirmed the strong commercial ties between their countries. Spain has remained Morocco’s top trading partner since 2012, with bilateral trade reaching €24 billion.
The agreements signed in December addressed a wide range of areas, including tax cooperation, judicial data exchange, social security coordination, educational cooperation, sports collaboration, and initiatives to combat hate speech. Additional agreements focused on diplomatic training exchanges, agricultural innovation, fisheries cooperation, and seismic research in the Gibraltar Strait region.
The talks also included preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Spain will co-host alongside Morocco and Portugal. Sánchez urged both countries to fully harness the tournament’s economic, cultural, and social potential, highlighting it as a catalyst for deeper cross-Mediterranean cooperation and expanded joint ventures between Spanish and Moroccan companies.
This renewed diplomatic momentum follows a decisive reset in relations after the 2021 rupture triggered by Spain’s handling of the Polisario leader’s clandestine hospitalization, which had severely strained trust between Rabat and Madrid. A turning point came in 2022, when Spain formally endorsed Morocco’s Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara, describing it as the “most serious, realistic, and credible” framework to resolve a longstanding dispute.
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Today, Morocco-Spain relations reflect unprecedented cross-sector cooperation. Moroccans form Spain’s largest foreign community, with over one million residents, including 335,000 registered contributors to Spanish social security—the largest foreign contributor group. Spanish investments in Morocco have reached €1.9 billion cumulatively, with roughly 16,000 Spanish companies exporting to Morocco and over 600 established within the country. Major Spanish firms, including Acciona and Moeve, participate in Morocco’s renewable energy projects, particularly green hydrogen development in southern provinces.
The bilateral relationship has evolved from the foundational 1991 Treaty of Friendship and Good Neighborliness through successive high-level meetings. The 2012 “Rabat Declaration” laid the groundwork for a strategic, multidimensional partnership, while meetings in 2015, 2023, and 2025 steadily deepened economic cooperation and cultural ties. Despite occasional tensions over migration, territorial issues, and political differences, both countries have consistently recalibrated their relationship toward dialogue and cooperation.
Sánchez’s 2026 EU proposal underscores Spain’s intent to leverage its privileged position as Morocco’s European neighbor to advance stronger EU-Africa ties through deeper, structured partnerships with North African countries. Officials describe the evolving Spain-Morocco partnership as a model of good-neighborly relations, grounded in mutual understanding and converging strategic interests.
