Officials said the two Mediterranean states have agreed to bolster
border security in an effort to resolve bilateral tension. They said the
first step would be the establishment of joint police stations along the
Spanish enclave in Morocco.
"What we have managed to get out of these incidents is an agreement to
strengthen our cooperation," Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Rubalcaba
said.
Under the agreement, Morocco and Spain would cooperate in a range of
security issues. They said this would include counter-insurgency as well as
efforts to combat illegal migration, drug trafficking and organized crime.
A joint statement on Aug. 23 did not specify the number of joint
security stations. But the interior ministers of Morocco and Spain pledged
to bolster their security presence as well as coordination and cooperation.
"Regarding security cooperation, the two ministers agreed to enhance the
level of cooperation between their ministries," the joint statement said.
"In this respect, they agreed to revive the periodic
meetings of the joint security group, set up joint police stations, increase
the number of liaison officers and promote their activity."
Rubalcaba and his Moroccan counterpart, Tayeb Cherqaoui, who met in
Rabat, reported cooperation in the battle against drug trafficking and plans
to expand this to money-laundering and CI. They said Cherqaoui would pursue
proposals for additional security cooperation in a forthcoming visit to
Spain.
"The two ministers also examined means to fight the terrorist threat in
their respective countries, and reaffirmed their commitment to coordinating
and reinforcing their joint action to address the challenges posed by
terrorism in the Sahel-Sahara region and its repercussions on all the
Maghreb states and the Mediterranean basin," the statement said.