A year has passed since the royal court published the new decision of the Spanish government regarding the Moroccan Sahara, as the head of the executive authority in Madrid expressed his support for the Moroccan autonomy proposal, which broke the traditional Spanish neutrality in the conflict.
Many waters passed under the bridge of Moroccan-Spanish relations after the historic message of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, while the Spanish government continues to defend this position as reflecting “state policy”, and described the Moroccan proposal as “the most serious, credible and realistic basis” for resolving the conflict.
And if Pedro Sanchez’s message revived the course of relations with Rabat, it opened another wound with Algeria. A year later, political bridges with Algeria, the main supporter of the Polisario Front, are still completely nonexistent.
The past twelve months have witnessed the launch of a “new and unprecedented phase” in the history of Spanish-Moroccan relations, based on “mutual respect” and “trust” through which the two parties hope to rule out future bilateral crises.
The analyst and expert on international affairs, Naoufel Baamri, points out that the Moroccan-Spanish relations, in their first anniversary, coincided with King Mohammed VI’s submission of the World Cup candidacy file with Spain and Portugal, “which reflects the size and strength of the relationship that binds the two countries with Portugal.”
And Baamri added: “The previous relationship was managed by the leaders of the two countries, King Mohammed VI and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, to overcome it thanks to the dialogue led by the king, in which various controversial issues were raised, which ended with the announcement of new Spanish positions towards Morocco, on top of which is the national issue; With reaching understandings related to neighborhood issues, including security and irregular immigration.”
The same analyst added that the recent visit of an important Spanish delegation to Morocco witnessed the signing of major economic agreements, and “ended with a royal invitation to the head of the Spanish government to officially visit Morocco, according to the communication issued on the matter in April; It is the visit that is expected to enhance opportunities for cooperation and partnership, as well as to emphasize the brotherhood that brings together the Spanish and Moroccan monarchies and the political leaders of the two countries.
The same spokesman acknowledged that “the Spanish recognition of the autonomy initiative as the only solution to end the artificial conflict over the Sahara, and support for Security Council resolutions and the mission of Staffan de Mistura, was considered not only an important position, but also unprecedented, and it has a political impact similar to that of the American recognition.”
And Bamari went on to explain: “Morocco has submitted to place the file of liquidating the Sahara from Spanish colonialism in the Fourth Committee, and therefore the Spanish recognition will have an impact on this level, in terms of the absence of any benefit for the continuation of discussing the file in the committee.”