Spain's new Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy pledged a "new phase" in relations with Morocco during a visit to Rabat on Wednesday, despite his conservative People's Party's (PP) tough stance on several disagreements with Spain's Arab neighbour, dpa reported. At a press conference with Morocco's new Islamist head of government Abdelilah Benkirane, Rajoy praised recent reforms carried out by King Mohammed VI as an "example to follow," placing Morocco among the most progressive Arab states. Rajoy announced the relaunch of high-level annual meetings between Madrid and Rabat which had not been held since 2008. Benkirane said bilateral relations would inevitably "improve day by day." New Spanish premiers traditionally make their first foreign visit to Morocco. Rajoy, who ousted former prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's Socialists in the November 20 elections, did not discuss any controversial subjects in depth, according to Moroccan diplomatic sources. The sources described the visit as merely an initial contact between the two prime ministers. -- SPA
