Spanish PM in Morocco on visit to cement ties

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez kicked off a visit to Morocco , on a trip aimed at mending ties following a deep diplomatic crisis between the two countries.

He and a dozen ministers are set to meet with top members of the Moroccan government.

They are expected to sign some 24 deals including on encouraging Spanish investment in the kingdom and on partnerships in areas from culture and education to desalination and rail transport, Spanish government sources said.

Spain's North African enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta -- which both border Morocco -- have long been magnets for people fleeing violence and poverty across Africa, seeking refuge via the continent's only land frontiers with the European Union.

"The better the relations are between Morocco and Spain, the better it is for Spain, for Morocco, for Europe, for business, and for the citizens of both countries," Sanchez said at an economic forum in Rabat.

Sanchez said the sides also aimed to "completely normalise the passage of people and goods at customs and land and sea crossing points".

Prior to his trip, Sanchez had spoken on the phone with King Mohammed VI who urged him to "consolidate the new stage of relations between Morocco and Spain", according to a statement from the Spanish premier's office.

The crisis had begun in 2021 when Madrid allowed Brahim Ghali, leader of the Polisario Front which seeks independence for the territory of Western Sahara, to be treated for Covid-19 in a Spanish hospital.