Speaking on Friday in Madrid at a conference themed “Spanish-Moroccan Relations: Historical Keys and Current Challenges,” Benyaich stressed that “the ties between the two Kingdoms are based on fruitful cooperation and permanent dialogue, founded on mutual respect and an ambitious roadmap.”
In this respect, the diplomat emphasized the key role of complementarity and diversity in bolstering this remarkable relationship, which extends to all strategic sectors.
To illustrate the soundness and the depth of the economic relations between the countries, Benyaich pointed out that Morocco is Spain’s third trade partner outside of the EU after the U.S. and the United Kingdom, and that it hosts some 1,000 spanish businesses among the 20,000 with regular exchanges with the Kingdom, with €2 billion worth of investment generating around 20,000 jobs in strategic sectors.
In parallel, Moroccan businesses, including major stakeholders such as OCP, are intensifying their investments in Spain, reflecting an economic momentum founded on complementarity and contributing to the two countries’ mutual prosperity, she added.
She also highlighted the growth of exchanges between Morocco and Spain, marked by more than 260 weekly flights, 60 daily maritime connections, and a record of 3 million Spanish visitors in 2024, representing a 16% increase compared to the previous year and confirming Spain as the second-largest source market for tourists to Morocco.
As for education, “some 12,000 Moroccan students are pursuing their studies in Spain, representing 10% of foreign students in the country,” she said, adding that Morocco hosts the biggest Cervantes institutes network in the world, which further bolsters cultural exchange between the two nations.
The diplomat also underscored the significant scope of the joint project by Morocco, Spain, and Portugal to host the 2030 World Cup, an unprecedented initiative that connects Europe and Africa as well as the North and South of the Mediterranean, reflecting the mutual trust and harmony between the governments of the three countries.
Benyaich added that these facts reflect the growing importance and the complementarity between Morocco and Spain, enshrining a multidimensional and remarkable strategic partnership, contributing to stability and prosperity in the Mediterranean and Atlantic region.
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