The Statement stressed that the communities of nationals residing respectively in both countries contribute to societies’ mutual understanding.
Given the vital role of education, culture and sports in bringing nations closer together, Spain and Morocco agree to place their exchanges in these areas at the center of their cooperation relations.
In the field of education, the parties undertake to promote the exchange of documentation relating to school curricula in force, in order to facilitate the accreditation and recognition of education and diplomas issued to students, added the joint Statement, noting that both parties will strengthen their collaboration to promote student mobility.
In this sense, the Spanish side will study measures to simplify administrative procedures for Moroccan students in Spain, while both sides will take the necessary steps to encourage Spanish public and private universities to open branches in Morocco, whose university offer is now strongly oriented towards internationalization, and whose universities host more than 20,000 African students receiving more than 11,000 scholarships.
In this regard, both parties welcome the signing of the MoU on university cooperation and also the ongoing discussions to facilitate mutual access of new university students from each of the signatory parties.
They also undertake to promote their cooperation in the field of sports, and particularly in the areas of community sports, integration through sports, and high performance sports.
In addition, both parties commend their excellent collaboration in the implementation of the Program of Teaching Arabic Language and Moroccan Culture in Spain and undertake to strengthen it by providing the necessary human and material resources.
In this sense, added the joint Statement, both parties agree on the need to adopt an Agreement exclusively on this program, which will serve as a basis for its improvement and ensure its sustainability.
Satisfied with the exchanges which took place since the last High-Level Meeting in the field of cultural cooperation, the two parties called for holding the 7th session of the Joint Cultural and Educational Commission, established under the Cultural Agreement between the governments of the two countries, signed in Rabat on October 14, 1980 and which has not met since 2003.
The two countries, which note, moreover, the dynamism of the Spanish language in Morocco, are committed to strengthening the learning of this language in Moroccan schools, junior and high schools, and call for the development of a joint action plan to actively support the establishment of bilingual sections within the Moroccan education system in all its primary, secondary and higher levels, pursuant to the MoU signed for this purpose, as well as a training program in Spanish as a language of instruction, in favor of Moroccan teachers.
The two parties also agreed to increase cooperation in the areas of media and institutional communication, including the development of a memorandum of understanding.
They also agreed to begin updating the film co-production agreement signed in 1998, and to develop an audiovisual co-production agreement that would reflect the expectations of both parties.
Both parties also express their interest in cooperating to ensure the protection of copyright and related rights in all areas by putting in contact their respective competent bodies and exchanging experiences and information, especially on the impact of new technologies, said the joint Statement, adding that the Moroccan side expressed interest in concluding a reciprocal representation agreement between the Moroccan Copyright Office and its Spanish counterpart.
The two countries also welcomed the organization by the Kingdom of Morocco, in November 2022 in Fez, of the 9th Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, which was a strong moment to highlight the universality of its values.
