Translated from Spanish, originally posted in El Mundo.
Once again, news on the relations between Morocco and Spain have raised the alarms. The historic disagreements between both countries are wildly known; that is, Ceuta and Melilla or differing views on the solution to the Sahara conflict, matters that reappear every certain time and that tense the area and aggravate the situation. It is of the upmost urgency to overcome these disputes and to avoid the exposure of mutual interests to serious dangers.
Many stereotypes harm the connections between Spain and Morocco. However, the two countries need each other and their relation is strategic for both. Setting delicate matters aside, Spain and Morocco are creating strong political, economic, military, social and cultural bonds. Because the only way forward is through cooperation and shared interests, it is essential to find formulas that benefit the two societies on both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar.
Morocco and Spain have overcome other tensions in the past 15 years. Quite often, this has been facilitated by the closeness between the business fabrics of both countries, which have displayed (shown) dynamism and efficacy.
It is a well-known fact that economic cooperation is the prelude to any political approach and that it sets the grounds for sustained growth. The numbers are clear: Spain is Morocco’s first trading partner. And, similarly, Morocco constitutes Spain’s second largest market outside the EU and the first in Africa. Commercial exchanges reached a value of 16.000 million euros in 2019. 22.000 Spanish companies export to Morocco and over 1.500 of them are present in multiple sectors. Both countries are natural partners because of their proximity and because they complement each other.
Commercial relations between Morocco and the EU represent 60% of Morocco’s foreign trade, Spain is Morocco’s main client with a 41,6% of the total of the EU and its main provider with a 35,6% of the total of the EU.
Expanding multilateral cooperation between both countries regarding Africa and Europe makes it easier to set in motion projects that are of common interest and, most importantly, that benefit the African continent. Morocco and Spain could have a key role in their continents; therefore, it is important to move forward and to boost a better Eurafrican alliance.
The right way to achieve that is to build and reinforce the axis Rabat-Madrid in order to see the Mediterranean region and Africa thrive, because geography demands so. Both countries face the same geopolitical, environmental and social risks. Therefore, they need to develop projects together: new economy, renewable energy, the railway tunnel under the Strait of Gibraltar, among others, can be a formidable catalyst for a bilateral agreement.
Despite the frictions, reaching a consensus is possible. We have to remember that most of the civil society and political parties in Morocco think of Western Sahara as part of their territorial unit. It is also known the historical heritage, the sensibility to the Sahrawi people’s cause in certain areas of the Spanish political spectrum and civil society.
It has been 14 years since Morocco presented to the United Nations Security Council its “Western Sahara Autonomy Proposal”, which can set the grounds to find a solution in an UN framework. Spain needs to put forward spaces that help in reconciling positions.
Since this conflict has had an impact on the construction process of the Arab Maghreb Union, during critical times that require united wills, there is a need to repair any rifts and to look for opportunities for all the people in the Maghreb. In this process, Algeria and Morocco, which are the main actors, should search for potential exits to the Sahara conflict, foster stability in the area and neutralise the danger that represent any jihadist organisations gaining ground in the Sahel.
Spain and Morocco can aspire to build a similar relation(s) to the one that is maintained with France and Portugal or with the United Kingdom. Mutual interest minimises problems. Human, touristic, trading, cultural relations have a greater weight than any knotty (complex) issues (matters).
Neither Spain nor Morocco can lose each other as strategic partners. There is an urgent need to rebuild trust, which is vital for the recovering of solutions (results) aimed at sustainable futures. Boosting cooperation is an antidote to remove potential destabilising factors, and to build bridges between the 14km of strait that divide both countries, in order to protect them from unforeseen tides.
Anwar Zibaoui