Spain’s newly crowned king Felipe VI arrived in Rabat on Monday afternoon for the start of his first trip to Morocco since becoming a king. Morocco is his third destination after having visited the Vatican and Portugal. This official visit confirms the excellent bilateral relations between the two countries.
The Spanish monarch and his wife Letizia were welcomed at the airport by King Mohamed VI and his wife Lalla Salma before heading to the royal palace in Rabat for a welcoming ceremony where they shared an Iftar meal with the Moroccan Royal family.
The Spanish royal couple was accompanied by a large delegation including ministers and entrepreneurs. Many meetings will be held between the two sovereigns and the delegations of the two countries. A first formal meeting between the two monarchs took place in the afternoon where both sides expressed their will to continue cooperating on various fields.
Spain and Morocco have been enjoying really good bilateral relations in the past few years. Spain is considered Morocco’s top economic partner along with France, and Madrid and Rabat have signed in June a new cooperation agreement worth 150 million euros for a period of two years. They have also worked closely in matters of high importance to both sides such as fighting terrorism, limiting illegal immigration and fighting drug trafficking.
Felipe 6 is set to meet with Morocco Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane. They will then inaugurate a tourism training center with the Moroccan Monarch while Queen Letizia will be visiting a cancer research center with Princess Lalla Salma.
The Moroccan Times.
