Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, will travel to Rabat this Wednesday and Thursday for his first visit to the new Moroccan parliament. This trip marks the initial in-person exchange between representatives of the two shores of the Strait of Gibraltar since Pedro Sánchez formed a new government. So far, the Spanish prime minister had only spoken with his Moroccan counterpart on the phone shortly after taking office.
Albares will remain in Morocco for more than 24 hours, a duration diplomatic sources describe as significant. The visit aims to follow up on the road map agreed at the close of the last legislative session. The schedule includes a formal talk with his Moroccan counterpart on Thursday, a session that is expected to underline the ongoing strategic dialogue. In addition to this high-level meeting, the minister will meet Spanish business leaders and aid workers in the capital. He may also tour the Spanish school in Rabat, according to the same sources. There is even talk of stops in Mauritania and Senegal after Rabat, though the foreign ministry has not confirmed these plans yet.
Albares has a deep familiarity with Morocco and with Bourita, his counterpart. Their exchanges have been consistent, with eight meetings in the previous parliamentary period, making Bourita one of the most frequently engaged foreign ministers for Spain. The relationship has recently progressed through the High-Level Meeting (RAN), held at the start of February. That summit laid out a new trajectory after a diplomatic rift tied to the Polisario leadership’s hospitalization and the ensuing frictions. The Spanish side had proposed a framework that included autonomy for Western Sahara, which Madrid called a serious, realistic, and convincing basis for resolving the dispute. This approach signaled a path toward reconciling differences rather than widening them.
In the absence of the monarch from the country, Sánchez and the RAN leadership did not convene formal talks with Mohammed VI in person, though an invitation was extended for a Rabat visit in the future. There is no fixed date for that potential meeting, and it remains unclear whether Albares’s travel will serve to advance any such engagement. In past parliamentary cycles, the first official presidential trip after assuming office often went to Morocco, although Sánchez’s most notable early trips have included Israel, the Palestinian territories, and Egypt.
economic relations
The current phase in ties between Spain and Morocco carries notable economic weight. Morocco has opened doors for Spanish companies to participate in key projects, signaling a growing collaboration on infrastructure and industrial renewal. Earlier this year, a Spanish consortium partnered with two Moroccan firms to secure a tender for the construction, operation, and maintenance of a large seawater desalination facility, a project seen as pivotal for regional water security. The renewal of the Moroccan railway network also featured prominently in discussions at the RAN, highlighting opportunities for Spanish participation in critical transport infrastructure. The broader context includes ongoing interest in a potential World Cup pathway involving both nations, with a 2030 plan that could be co-hosted with Portugal opening future avenues for cooperation in sports and related sectors.
One major topic remaining is the implementation of commercial customs between Ceuta and Melilla. While only some tests and exercises have occurred at the border so far, the schedule for full rollout has not been confirmed. The foreign ministry has emphasized that any such measures should proceed in a steady, methodical manner to ensure stability and predictability for cross-border trade.
Cooperation on migration remains a cornerstone of the bilateral agenda. Both Madrid and Rabat continue to emphasize joint approaches to irregular migration and border management. Despite some fluctuations in migrant flows to the Canary Islands and the mainland, overall trends have shown a shift in movement patterns in recent months. Data from the interior ministry indicate that the Canary Islands saw significant arrivals in 2023, a figure surpassing earlier high points, and continuing to shape regional policy discussions. International organizations have tracked ongoing search and rescue challenges and safety concerns as part of the broader migration dialogue. These dynamics will likely feature in the discussions during Albares’s visit, underscoring a shared interest in orderly, humane, and cooperative responses to displacement challenges. [Citation: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Spain; International Organization for Migration reports].