Morocco rejected to be used as a scapegoat in Spain’s political battles following the migration crisis that saw thousands cross into the occupied city of Ceuta on July 30.
In a detailed statement released by the Foreign Ministry, Morocco underscored its deliberate choice to pursue a partnership grounded in mutual respect and shared interests while firmly rejecting attempts to instrumentalize the relationship for domestic political gain.
Morocco has sovereignly chosen to engage with Spain in a relationship of geographical neighborliness, political understanding, economic partnership, and security cooperation, the statement added.
This approach reached its fullest expression in the Joint Declaration of April 7, 2022, following the meeting between King Mohammed VI and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, the ministry recalled.
That visit opened a new chapter of mutual trust, ongoing dialogue, and the pursuit of a mutually beneficial partnership between the two countries, it added.
Thanks to this framework, the two countries have proactively strengthened what unites them while addressing differences with calm and respect, avoiding any attempt to create a fait accompli, it said.
Tangible results have followed. In the economic sphere, Spain remains Morocco’s leading economic partner, while Morocco ranks as Spain’s second-largest trading partner outside the European Union. In security cooperation, the partnership has saved lives and dismantled terrorist and criminal networks, often at the cost of human casualties and property damage borne by Moroccan forces, it said.
On migration, the Ministry stated that cooperation has always been coordinated and effective.
Referring to the unfortunate events of last July, it called for a thorough investigation to determine the circumstances, identify any interference or manipulation, and ensure such incidents never recur.
The statement posed direct questions: “Why continue to level accusations against Morocco when no evidence, facts, or reports establish any involvement on the part of Moroccan authorities? Why are illegal migrants not being returned, even though the Moroccan government has officially committed to readmitting them? Why are unaccompanied minors being kept away from their families, when Morocco has urgently requested their return?”
The Kingdom also expressed regret that certain Spanish political and media circles persist in exploiting Morocco for domestic political purposes.
It noted with particular disappointment that long-standing parties with extensive governing experience have allowed unreasonable and populist escalation to overshadow common sense.
Reputable legislative and judicial institutions have similarly erred through ill-advised initiatives that foster discord, replacing discernment with oversimplification and objective analysis with accusatory rhetoric, it said.
Such approaches, the statement warned, fuel a strategy of fear detrimental to all.
“Morocco categorically refuses to be used as a pre-election political pawn or a scapegoat in political score-settling,” the Foreign Ministry insisted, stressing that Geographical proximity is an immutable reality.