Latest news with #Morocco-Spain-Portugal
Morocco World
02-04-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
Spain-Morocco Undersea Tunnel Carries Hefty €15 Billion Price Tag
Meknes – Morocco-Spain undersea tunnel, an ambitious project that is designed to link Morocco's city of Tangier to Spain's Algeciras through the Strait of Gibraltar, could cost up to €15 billion, Spanish newspaper La Razón recently reported. La Razón reports that the tunnel between Spain and Morocco represents more than just an engineering achievement — it's a significant player on the global geostrategic scene. The newspaper spoke of how the project will strengthen connections between Europe and Africa, facilitating trade, freight transport, and tourism while accelerating rail integration between the continents, despite Morocco's railway network not yet being fully electrified. Interest in the tunnel project surged after FIFA accepted the joint Morocco-Spain-Portugal bid to host the 2030 World Cup. However, the tunnel won't be ready in time for the tournament. The intercontinental connection aims to boost economic exchanges between the countries by speeding up the movement of both passengers and goods. Currently, ferry services handle transport across the strait. Read also: FIFA: Joint Morocco-Portugal-Spain Bid Exceeds World Cup Hosting Standards According to La Razón, the project will also promote economic development throughout the Strait of Gibraltar region, benefiting both southern Spain and northern Morocco. Engineers project the tunnel won't be completed before 2040, even if construction begins soon. The Herrenknecht Ibérica, a Spanish subsidiary of the German firm Herrenknecht, is overseeing the project and recently launched two technical studies to determine feasibility and finalize engineering details. This delay is reportedly due to some significant technical challenges, as a result of the tunnel's location at the boundary between the Eurasian and African tectonic plates along the Azores-Gibraltar fault line. This massive infrastructure project represents one of the most challenging engineering feats currently planned in the Mediterranean region. If completed, it would create the first fixed link between Africa and Europe, potentially transforming trade relations between the continents. Tags: Gibraltar StraitMorocco spainUndersea tunnel
Ya Biladi
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Morocco, Spain sign joint declaration on judicial cooperation ahead of 2030 World Cup
Morocco and Spain signed a Joint Declaration of Intent on Judicial Cooperation on Tuesday in Madrid, ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup. The agreement was signed by Moroccan Minister of Justice Abdellatif Ouahbi and his Spanish counterpart, Félix Bolaños. Signed on the sidelines of a ministerial meeting, this declaration strengthens the historic bilateral cooperation between Morocco and Spain. The agreement focuses on enhancing judicial collaboration to combat organized crime through increased dialogue and reinforced existing partnerships. It also aims to modernize the judicial system, including digitizing justice, improving access, promoting alternative dispute resolution, and managing cross-border cases. Recognizing the crucial role of effective judicial cooperation in supporting the joint organization of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, the declaration seeks to strengthen joint commissions by convening regular meetings under existing civil and criminal mutual legal assistance agreements. This initiative builds on discussions from the April 2024 meetings in Madrid. In this context, and considering the trilateral nature of the tournament, the ministers reaffirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation through specific agreements. Notably, they emphasized the role of the Morocco-Spain-Portugal Joint Justice Commission, which will serve as a structured framework for collaboration until the tournament's conclusion.
