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Morocco and Spain sign 14 cooperation agreements at 13th high-level meeting

Thursday 04 December 2025 - 15:40

By: Sahili Aya

Morocco and Spain sign 14 cooperation agreements at 13th high-level meeting

Morocco and Spain have signed 14 new cooperation agreements during the 13th High-Level Meeting held Thursday in Madrid, reflecting a renewed momentum in bilateral relations.

During a bilateral session at the Palacio de la Moncloa, Moroccan Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez highlighted the strong and growing partnership between the two neighboring countries. Sánchez pointed to the deep human ties that shape this relationship, noting that Moroccans represent the largest foreign community in Spain and the leading contributors to the Spanish social security system, with more than 335,000 registered workers.

Economically, the Spanish leader recalled that Spain has been Morocco’s top trading partner since 2012. He also referred to the business forum held the previous day, praising the commitment of Moroccan and Spanish companies to expand cooperation—particularly in light of the opportunities linked to the 2030 FIFA World Cup, co-organized by Morocco, Spain and Portugal.

A Joint Declaration adopted during the meeting reconfirmed the two countries’ intention to strengthen political dialogue and deepen cooperation in key sectors, including administrative digitalization, education, disaster prevention, sustainability and gender equality.

Fourteen Agreements Covering Strategic Sectors

According to the joint communiqué, the 14 agreements include one international administrative agreement, 11 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and two declarations of intent.

Several MoUs focus on digital transformation and public administration modernization, including enhanced fiscal cooperation, electronic exchange of administrative requests and the extension of an existing MoU on social protection and social security. Another agreement targets the preservation and digitalization of documentary heritage, while a declaration of intent aims to facilitate the exchange of legal information and expertise in the production and electronic dissemination of regulatory texts.

In the fields of education, culture and sports, the two countries signed an updated agreement governing Spanish-managed schools in Morocco, setting new rules for teacher participation and defining coordination mechanisms. A sports-related MoU outlines joint initiatives in training, knowledge exchange, event organization and athlete protection.

A further MoU addresses cooperation in countering hate speech and disinformation, with measures aimed at promoting coexistence and combating xenophobic content online. Additional agreements involve feminist diplomacy, youth diplomat exchanges and capacity building between diplomatic academies.

Cooperation has also been expanded in natural disaster management, agriculture and fisheries. The agricultural and fisheries MoUs aim to boost innovation, water management, rural development, sustainable agriculture and the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

Finally, a scientific MoU seeks to reinforce collaboration on seismic and geodynamic studies in the Strait of Gibraltar—an area located at the convergence of the Eurasian and African tectonic plates. The framework includes data exchange, coordinated observation networks and joint research to better assess earthquake and tsunami risks.