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WASHINGTON, July 17, 2013 /Standard Newswire/ -- The Spanish sovereign's historic visit to Morocco, between July 15-17, has been a success at all levels. His first overseas trip since a hip surgery, His Majesty (HM) King Juan Carlos 1 trip to Morocco comes to reinforce the strong relations between the two neighbors.

HM King Mohammed VI many activities reserved for King Juan Carlos 1 showcase the close and robust relations between the two royal families and the importance of an even closer cooperation between the two sides of the Mediterranean.

On his arrival in Rabat, the Spanish Sovereign was greeted by HM King Mohammed VI who was accompanied by HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan and HRH Prince Moulay Rachid. An impressive political and economic delegation, made up of government members, nine former foreign ministers and leaders of several Spanish companies accompanied King Juan Carlos I during the trip to Rabat. The visit came at the invitation of HM King Mohammed VI, according to official sources in Madrid.

In a sign of a growing and sustained interest in Morocco, the Spanish Monarch was accompanied, during this visit, by a large delegation including Minister of Justice, Alberto Ruiz Gallardon Jimenez, Interior Minister, Jorge Fernandez Diaz, Minister of Equipment, Ana Maria Pastor Julian, Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism, José Manuel Soria Lopez, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Gonzalo de Benito Secades, and Spanish ambassador to Morocco, Alberto Jose Navaro Gonzalez.

HM Juan Carlos 1 visit had several components. Spain, suffering from a deep economical crisis, embraced HM King Mohammed VI efforts to further economic and political ties hoping to benefit the two nations.

On the economic side, Morocco has become a key country not only for exports and imports but also for Spanish investments. In fact Spain is now Morocco's first trade partner. As such, Spanish foreign minister José Manuel Garcia-Margallo thanked King Mohammed VI who called for supporting Spain in the economic crisis. "We highly appreciate the message of HM King Mohammed VI and the Moroccan government's openness and wiliness to support Spain in this difficult period of economic crisis," said the Spanish official.

The Morocco-Spain economic forum held during the visit under the theme "Morocco-Spain: a shared area of prosperity," was marked by the active participation of HM King Juan Carlos I of Spain. The event, aimed at strengthening the economic partnership between the two countries, will touch mainly on shared growth through SMEs, technological partnership, connectivity, infrastructure and collocation.

During the same visit, Moroccan Interior Minister Mohand Laenser held talks with his Spanish counterpart Jorge Fernandez Diaz on issues of common interest, notably security and the European Union. This meeting, the fifth of its kind between the two officials, was an opportunity to assess the progress made since the two officials met.

In a statement after the meeting the Spanish official said: "we discussed with our Moroccan counterparts common interest issues, including the fight against organized crime and human trafficking for Spain, which the EU borders, the fight against these phenomena is not possible without a real and effective cooperation with Morocco."

For his part, HM Juan Carlos 1 used this occasion to underscore the role HM King Mohammed VI plays in keeping peace and prosperity for the whole region. Speaking in Rabat, King Juan Carlos I of Spain stated that "Morocco has become, after reforms carried out upon the orders of HM King Mohammed VI and the adoption of the new constitution, a pioneer model of openness and stability.  The openness and stability enjoyed by Morocco has a positive impact regionally and at the level of bilateral ties."