Luis Ayllón
His Majesty the King yesterday took advantage of his speech at the traditional reception at the Royal Palace for the Diplomatic Corps accredited in Madrid to send a message to Morocco with the aim of putting the bilateral crisis that began in April last year behind us.
In the presence of the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, and the foreign ambassadors in Spain, Don Felipe reviewed various aspects of Spanish foreign policy, but, above all, he urged Rabat to bring about this new stage in the bilateral relationship, ‘based on trust and mutual respect’, which King Mohammed VI announced in a speech in August.
Among those attending the ceremony was Morocco’s Chargé d’Affaires in Madrid, but not the ambassador, Karima Benyaich. The latter was recalled for consultations by her government on 18 May, in the midst of a massive influx of irregular immigrants into Ceuta facilitated by the Maghreb authorities as a reaction to the reception in a Spanish hospital, for humanitarian reasons, of Polisario Front leader Brahim Ghali.
The King underlined the “strategic nature” of Spain’s relationship with the Maghreb and the “interdependence” that the closeness and intensity of the existing ties make up. In this context, and without expressly mentioning it, he alluded to the conflict between Morocco and Algeria, which broke off diplomatic relations last August.
He affirmed that, in the Maghreb, “our country will continue to make every effort to create and consolidate a common area of peace, stability and prosperity”. And he assured that Spain’s relationship with the countries of the region “is based on sincere and respectful ties of friendship and cooperation that we want to continue to preserve and strengthen with all our Maghreb partners”.
Referring specifically to the Spanish-Moroccan dispute, he said: “Our respective governments have agreed to jointly redefine a relationship for the 21st century, based on stronger and more solid pillars”.
Now,” the King emphasised, “both nations must walk together to begin to materialise this new relationship. It is a matter of finding solutions to the problems that concern our peoples”.
Felipe VI also addressed other Spanish foreign policy challenges, such as the NATO Summit to be held in Madrid on 29 and 30 June, the 40th anniversary of Spain’s entry into the Alliance. He recalled that a new Strategic Concept, the “Madrid Concept”, is expected to be approved at this event, which “must generate,” he said, “a powerful signal of unity and cohesion that supports the strengthening of deterrence and defence of the Alliance”.
Furthermore, he pointed out that “Spain has been and continues to be a firm supporter of the development of the Common Security and Defence Policy and actively participates in all initiatives aimed at making the Union an effective security provider”.
In this context, he went on to address Russia, pointing out that Spain recognises the prominent role of this country “as a relevant actor for the stability of the Eurasian region” and affirmed that, together with our partners in the European Union, “we are firmly convinced that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States are essential and unrenounceable requirements for building fruitful and peaceful relations”. “Respect for borders is the basis for peace in Europe”, he said.
With regard to Latin America, in addition to recalling that it has been 30 years since the beginning of the Summits of Heads of State and Government of the region, he said that Spain will continue to support “the construction of fairer, safer and more democratic societies, in accordance with the principles and values that we share”.
Before the King’s speech, the Holy See’s nuncio, Monsignor Bernardito Auza, in his capacity as dean of the Diplomatic Corps, delivered a speech in which he praised the King’s “disposition”, “closeness” and “awareness of his high destiny”.
Due to the pandemic, the ceremony could only be attended by one representative from each of the accredited countries, and the glass of wine usually offered at the end of the reception was omitted.
