In an exclusive interview with MAP news agency, the Spanish minister said that "the foundations of cooperation between Morocco and Spain have been built over the years on shared goals and principles, within a framework of mutual trust and absolute loyalty, enabling both parties to develop means of interaction in a spirit of effectiveness and efficiency."

The Spanish official highlighted the importance of the talks held with the Interior Minister, Abdelouafi Laftit, during his visit to the Kingdom, marked by the examination of several issues relating in particular to the security aspect. He called "very high" the level of collaboration and understanding between the two countries on ways to tackle common challenges.

According to the Spanish Minister, the choice of Morocco as the venue for his first foreign visit following the investiture of the new Spanish government is explained by the fraternal and vital nature of relations between the two parties.

In this sense, he said that bilateral cooperation was "very important" for the security of both countries’ societies, adding that communication between the two Interior Ministries was permanent and direct.

For Spain, Morocco is a "strategic partner" in several areas, including security, economics, industry and culture, noted Grande-Marlaska, emphasizing the quality of bilateral collaboration in favor of legal, safe and orderly migration.

In this respect, he described as "very important" the actions undertaken by the authorities of both countries in the fight against irregular migration and human trafficking networks, adding that the aim is to save the lives of the victims of these criminal activities.

The Spanish minister also welcomed the "very important work" carried out by the Moroccan security services in the fight against terrorism, "a source of concern for both Morocco and Spain, particularly given the instability and presence of terrorist groups in some countries in the Sahel region.”

While stressing the importance of bilateral coordination in the fight against terrorism, "which has produced positive results,” he recalled that last year the authorities of both countries carried out joint operations against 14 terrorist cells, leading to arrest 80 people.

The Spanish official also commended the quality of cooperation in the field of civil protection, which forms part of the security policy implemented jointly, particularly in the context of phenomena linked to climate change, to enable the authorities to intervene swiftly in the event of natural disasters.

Turning to Marhaba Operation, Garande-Marlaska praised the efforts made on both sides to enable Moroccans expatriates to transit to the Kingdom under the best possible conditions.

The Minister also spoke of the joint organization of the 2030 Football World Cup, stressing that the bid presented by Morocco, Spain and Portugal was "invincible" given the international potential of the three countries. In this respect, he affirmed that the relevant authorities in the three countries were working together to ensure the success of this edition.