MADRID: Spain signed 14 cooperation deals with Morocco in Madrid on Thursday, strengthening ties with the European Union's North African neighbour that were long poisoned by the disputed Western Sahara.
Morocco mostly controls the vast, resource-rich former Spanish colony, where the Algeria-backed Polisario Front seeks independence for the territory.
Ties improved in 2022 after Spain supported Morocco's plan to grant the Western Sahara autonomy but under Rabat's sovereignty, a stance also supported by the United States and France.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez hosted his Moroccan counterpart Aziz Akhannouch for talks in Madrid before presiding over the signing of 14 agreements.
These included cooperation in education, sport, agriculture, fishing and natural disasters, according to a statement from Sanchez's office.
A joint declaration reaffirmed "both countries' desire to strengthen political dialogue", the statement added.
Sanchez also urged both countries to seize the "economic, cultural and social opportunities" offered by the 2030 football World Cup, which Spain and Morocco will host alongside Portugal.
The statement omitted any mention of the Western Sahara. Morocco is seeking to manage its airspace, controlled by Spain from the Atlantic archipelago of the Canary Islands.
Immigration is another major topic of common interest. Morocco is a key EU partner in managing irregular migration, sharing the bloc's only land border with Africa at the Spanish exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.
Moroccan Trade Minister Ryad Mezzour had told El Mundo newspaper that his country was "making every effort" to combat illegal immigration. - AFP
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