Morocco's Director General of National Security and Territorial Surveillance, Abdellatif Hammouchi, received on Thursday the head of intelligence for Spain's Civil Guard, Major General Luis Peláez Piñeiro, who is on a working visit to the Kingdom leading a high-level security delegation.
According to a statement issued by Morocco's General Directorate of National Security and General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance, the visit reflects the advanced level of security cooperation between Moroccan authorities and their Spanish counterparts, a partnership that has become a model in combating terrorism and transnational crime.
The meeting also featured a ceremony during which several senior officials from Morocco's security and intelligence services were awarded prestigious Spanish decorations. The honours were granted under a decree issued by Spain's Interior Ministry in recognition of their efforts in strengthening operational cooperation and technical assistance with Spanish security authorities.
The Moroccan statement said the distinctions underscore the depth and strength of the strategic relationship between Moroccan security services and the Spanish Civil Guard, while also reflecting Spain's appreciation for the professionalism displayed by Moroccan officials in addressing shared cross-border security challenges.
The awards, it added, further highlight the success of a bilateral security model based on mutual trust and close coordination between Morocco and Spain, and reaffirm Morocco's role as a reliable and strategic partner in promoting regional and international security, particularly in the Mediterranean basin.
Speaking during the ceremony, the head of intelligence of the Spanish Civil Guard described Morocco as an indispensable strategic partner in the fight against terrorism and organised crime, particularly in light of the increasingly complex security challenges facing the region and the wider international environment.
The Spanish official said honouring Moroccan security leaders constituted recognition of their contributions to strengthening bilateral cooperation in addressing common threats and an expression of appreciation for the advanced level reached by the security partnership between Morocco's security and intelligence services and the Spanish Civil Guard.
The latest honours come months after Hammouchi himself was awarded the Grand Cross of Merit of the Spanish Civil Guard during a ceremony in Spain in November 2025, the highest distinction granted by the Spanish Civil Guard.
He had previously been awarded the Cross of Police Merit with Red Distinction in 2014 in recognition of his role in laying the foundations for what has become one of the closest and most effective security partnerships between Morocco and Spain.
Security cooperation between Rabat and Madrid has intensified in recent years, with both countries working closely on counterterrorism, migration management, organised crime and cross-border security threats, making their partnership one of the most advanced security cooperation frameworks in the Mediterranean region.
