Morocco-Spain ties are "excellent and strong", says Moroccan official

"We are very satisfied at the present cooperation between the two countries. We are cooperating in several fields", Bouaida who paid this Feb.3-4 a visit to Madrid where she met several Spanish officials told a Spanish TV program.

She also underscored that the two countries are maintaining "very strong cooperation" in economic, social, political, security and immigration fields, stressing that Morocco and Spain are also collaborating very closely to guarantee "better control" of migration flows and holding "permanent and open dialog" to address illegal immigration.

Moroccan and Spanish authorities are endeavoring together to protect the rights of an estimated 800,000 Moroccans living in Spain, she went before calling for better contacts between the two countries' civil societies.

To a question on Morocco's economic development, the delegate-minister argued that "like other emerging countries, Morocco has started, over a decade ago, structuring its economy in a bid to control public deficits" while endeavoring to open up to the economies of other countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

The official surveyed changes conducted in Morocco, after the adoption of a constitution by popular referendum, citing particularly actions to promote women's rights.

She also insisted that Morocco is abiding by the UN settlement process for the Sahara issue, recalling that Morocco has carried out major development and job-generating projects in the Southern provinces.

During her visit to Spain, the delegate minister for foreign affairs and cooperation held work sessions with Spanish foreign minister José Manuel Garcia Margallo, secretary of state for foreign affairs Gonzalo de Benito, vice-speaker of the Congress of deputies (lower parliamentary chamber) Cecilia Villalobos and speaker of the senate (PP), Pio Garcia Escudero (PP).