The Diplomat in Spain

Photo: Embassy of Spain in Rabat

The Diplomat. 18/08/2018

On July 18 came into force the Strategic Association Agreement on Development and Cultural, Educational and Sports Cooperation between Spain and Morocco, which aims to «deepen the knowledge, understanding and understanding between the two peoples».

The agreement was signed in Rabat in October 2012 by the then Spanish and Moroccan ministers of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, José Manuel García-Margallo and Saadine El Otmani, and although it had not yet entered into force, its provisional application began in July of 2013. Spain and Morocco have committed to maintain their validity for a period of eight years, with the possibility of extending it for similar periods.

The agreement, which takes as reference the Treaty of Friendship between Spain and Morocco of 1991, establishes «the creation of a general and strategic framework of association for the development and promotion of cultural, educational, scientific and sports cooperation».

With this framework, it aims to «deepen the knowledge, understanding and understanding between both peoples, Spanish and Moroccan, through the dissemination of their respective languages ​​and cultural heritage, which have an international projection and whose roots come together in the course of their common history».

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The agreement was signed in Rabat in October 2012 and is applied provisionally since July 2013

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In addition, the agreement aims to «give its cooperation a renewed legal framework, adapted to the cultural, social and economic needs that both countries share, to establish a Strategic Partnership on Development and Cultural, Educational and Sports Cooperation».

The agreement determines that the two parties will coordinate their cooperation actions according to «the priorities established by their national development policies» and «their international commitments», within the regional and international integration mechanisms of which they are parties, such as the United Nations, the Arab Maghreb Union and the European Union

.Cooperation for development activities may be included, by mutual agreement, in regional cooperation plans in which both parties participate, which, in addition, may require the support of international organizations to finance or implement programs and projects derived from the agreement.

On the other hand, the two countries will stimulate, under the agreement, the execution of joint development projects within the framework of a decentralized cooperation and will be able to initiate cooperation agreements with third countries with which they have common interests, within the framework of a tripartite, regional, governmental or non-governmental cooperation.