Suchergebnisse

Spanish policy toward North Africa is focused primarily on the Maghreb & characterized by a primary concern with economic & commercial interests. Promotion of civil society development in this region is very much a secondary concern, & extreme caution is shown by the Spanish government over questions of political change & human rights, for fear of upsetting relationships with governments in the Maghreb. In principle, Spain favors "dynamic stability" in North Africa, marked by a gradual evolution away from authoritarian structures, but the preoccupation with the pursuit of national economic interests has increased under the People's Party, especially since it won an absolute majority in the 2000 elections. Reliance on a strategy of cooperation to strengthen interdependence, however, has not proven to be a firm guarantee against crises in bilateral relations, as recent disputes with Morocco have demonstrated. Adapted from the source document.