HIBAPRESS – Mohamed Zerriouh
The Spanish monarch, Felipe VI, chose the occupied city of Melilla to deliver a political message regarding the future of relations with Morocco, calling for the establishment of new foundations for cooperation based on trust, good faith, and shared responsibility. These statements came on Wednesday, at the conclusion of an official visit that included the occupied city of Ceuta, and reopened the discussion about the balance between Madrid's partnership discourse and the ongoing dispute over the status of the two cities.
The Spanish King stressed the importance of maintaining good neighborly relations between the two countries, considering that common interests, peace, security, and stability are essential pillars for developing bilateral cooperation. He highlighted that achieving these goals requires mutual will to build trust and take responsibility, referring to the importance of continued coordination between Rabat and Madrid on files of common interest.
However, Felipe VI's call for rapprochement came after he affirmed, during his visit to the occupied city of Ceuta, Spain's adherence to its position on the sovereignty of the two cities. This puts the discourse calling for good neighborliness to a political test related to one of the most sensitive issues in Moroccan-Spanish relations. Moroccan civil society circles consider the visit to carry implications that go beyond its official nature, given its connection to the issue of the two enclaves, regarding which Morocco maintains its historical position.
In a related context, the Spanish monarch called for strengthening institutional unity within his country and overcoming political differences related to migration management, while maintaining civil coexistence in Ceuta and Melilla. He also held a meeting with the president of the occupied city of Melilla, Juan José Imbroda, who welcomed the visit and called for accelerating measures to address migration-related challenges. The city witnessed reception displays where Spanish flags were raised.
The visit carries additional significance as it is Felipe VI's first to the two cities since ascending the throne in 2014, following the last Spanish royal visit in 2007, which caused diplomatic tension with Morocco. Between the stakes of security and economic cooperation and migration management on one hand, and the ongoing dispute over Ceuta and Melilla on the other, Madrid's call for trust and good neighborliness remains linked to its ability to deal with the historical and sovereign issues that form the core of the dispute with Rabat.
