The 13th High-Level Meeting between Morocco and Spain, held this Thursday, December 4, resulted in the signing of 14 agreements and MoUs and a joint declaration.
According to a statement from La Moncloa, the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, met with the Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch, with whom he had a long discussion on the excellent moment that relations between the two countries are going through.
Junto con el jefe de Gobierno de Marruecos, Aziz Ajanouch, reforzamos la voluntad de España y Marruecos por el dialogo y la cooperation y por una relación más moderna, global y transversal que ponga a la ciudadanía en el centro.
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) December 4, 2025
Nuestros lazos sociales, economics and humans are…
Pedro Sánchez emphasized an element that has become central to the Moroccan-Spanish relationship: the strength of the human ties that bind the two societies. The Moroccan community remains the largest foreign community in Spain and, above all, the largest group affiliated with Social Security, with some 335,000 contributors—an example of how cooperation translates into shared prosperity.
This conviction was reflected in the adoption of a joint declaration outlining the priorities for the new bilateral cycle. Both governments affirm their commitment to strengthening political dialogue and working together in areas where the stakes are now high, including the modernization of public administrations, digital transformation, education, natural disaster risk management, sustainable development, and equality. The declaration lays the foundation for a relationship that aims to be more transparent, more coherent, and more open to the challenges of the future.
🔴LIVE
— La Moncloa (@desdelamoncloa) December 4, 2025
El jefe del Ejecutivo, @sanchezcastejon, y el primer minister de marroquí, Aziz Akhannouch, presiden la firma de acuerdos entre España y Marruecos. https://t.co/h16Mqb9S0G
On the economic front, Pedro Sánchez reiterated that Spain has remained Morocco's leading trading partner since 2012. This position is confirmed by the volume of trade and the strong interest shown by business leaders who met the previous day at an economic forum held on Wednesday, December 3. The Spanish Prime Minister emphasized the determination of Moroccan and Spanish companies to further strengthen their ties. He also encouraged businesses in both countries to anticipate the opportunities presented by hosting the 2030 World Cup, an event that could accelerate joint projects.
“Morocco and Spain are not just neighbors. They are two nations sharing the same challenges, bound by a common future and guided by values of trust, respect, and reliability. These values represent the very foundation of our economic collaboration.” @AljChakib — CGEM (@CGEM_MA) December 3, 2025
The fourteen agreements signed (including one international administrative agreement, eleven memoranda of understanding, and two declarations of intent) give new impetus to this dynamic. They cover diverse areas but converge towards the same objective: to consolidate a modern, structured partnership capable of producing concrete results.
Administrative modernization plays a significant role in this process. Several memoranda of understanding have been initialed, each complementing an already comprehensive framework. One focuses on tax cooperation, aiming to accelerate the digitalization of services and streamline communication between the administrations on both sides of the Mediterranean. Another facilitates the electronic submission and receipt of cooperation requests, a mechanism expected to reduce processing times and improve coordination.
España y Marruecos somos países vecinos, amigos y socios.
— José Manuel Albares (@jmalbares) December 4, 2025
En la Reunion de Alto Nivel hoy en Madrid reforzamos nuestra extraordinaria relación con la Declaration Conjunta y 14 acuerdos en digital, justice, politics exterior, deporte, diplomacia, educación, agriculture y pesca.
The long-awaited extension of the memorandum on social protection and social security will ensure the continued exchange of technical expertise and the ongoing adaptation of administrative mechanisms. In addition, an agreement dedicated to documentary heritage, accompanied by a declaration of intent, paves the way for joint work on the digital production of legislative and regulatory texts, as well as their dissemination in modernized formats.
The sporting, cultural, and educational aspects were also addressed. Madrid and Rabat signed a new administrative agreement that updates educational cooperation in Spanish schools in Morocco. The agreement revises the procedures for teacher participation, clarifies selection criteria, specifies operating rules, and establishes more effective coordination and monitoring tools.
Seguimos desarrollando nuestras relaciones economicas y comerciales.
— José Manuel Albares (@jmalbares) December 4, 2025
España es el primer socio commercial de Marruecos, alcanzando el año pasado un record de intercambios de 22,000 M€.
También reforzamos el diálogo político bilateral, sobre el Mediterranean and relationship with the EU. pic.twitter.com/bI8aWSHog0
Building on this momentum, a protocol on sport has formalized a more structured collaboration. It provides for joint training programs, the sharing of expertise, the co-organization of events, and enhanced efforts on athlete protection. A monitoring committee will meet annually, a sign that both countries now view sport not only as an area of technical cooperation, but also as a vehicle for inclusion and a shared arena for innovation.
The rise of hate speech and disinformation was also on the agenda. As a result, a memorandum aimed at strengthening cooperation in preventing and responding to these abuses spreading on social media was adopted. The objective is to defend social cohesion and combat more effectively the xenophobic messages that fuel tensions.
The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs also initialed several memoranda related to feminist diplomacy and equality. These aim to promote the empowerment of women and girls in foreign policy and to establish exchange programs for young diplomats from both countries.
The remaining agreements cover essential sectors such as natural disaster management, agriculture, and fisheries. Emphasis is placed on innovation, more sustainable water management, support for rural communities, and combating illegal fishing. One of the most significant agreements concerns the study of seismicity and geodynamics. It establishes a shared scientific framework where the two states will exchange data, coordinate their observation networks, and deepen their understanding of seismic and tsunami risks.
