Overview

• Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares and Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita met in Madrid on April 17, 2025, in an unannounced meeting to discuss bilateral relations.
• Both ministers declared that Spain and Morocco are experiencing the 'best moment in their historical relationship,' citing progress in migration, trade, and security cooperation.
• Spain reiterated its 2022 endorsement of Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara, describing it as the 'most serious, credible, and realistic' solution to the territorial dispute.
• The meeting reviewed the implementation of the bilateral roadmap launched in 2022, which has deepened collaboration across multiple sectors, including economic and security matters.
• Critics in Spain continue to oppose the government’s stance, arguing that it undermines Sahrawi self-determination and ignores human rights concerns in the disputed territory.