Some 236 years after the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the United States and Morocco, relations between Washington and Rabat, already solid and multifaceted, have reached a new level during the past year.
Between bilateral talks, strategic dialogue and economic and security partnership, Moroccan-American friendship was on all fronts, attesting to a shared vision in the service of peace, security and prosperity, and a determination of the two allies to meet common challenges together.
In a message addressed by King Mohammed VI to American President Joe Biden on the occasion of the celebration of Independence Day of the United States, the Sovereign expressed His great pride in the ancestral historical relations uniting the Kingdom of Morocco and the United States of America, based on solid friendship, mutual esteem and active solidarity.
The King thus reiterated His firm determination to continue to work together with President Biden to enrich these relations and hoist the strategic partnership in order to meet the aspirations of the two peoples.
Indeed, the partnership between Washington and Rabat is “rooted in common interests for regional peace, security and prosperity”, said the head of American diplomacy, Antony Blinken, on the occasion of the working visit to Washington last November by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Living Abroad, Nasser Bourita.
The Morocco-USA Strategic Dialogue, held last March, was an opportunity to further consolidate this common vision, the American Under-Secretary of State, Wendy Sherman, welcoming in particular during her visit to Rabat the regional role of the Kingdom in matters of security cooperation.
The American official, who held political consultations with Nasser Bourita and co-chaired with him a session of the Morocco-United States strategic dialogue on regional political issues, said “thanked” the Morocco, “a stable partner, provider of security”for his leadership in connection with the Global Counterterrorism Forum and for his “support role” within the Global Coalition to defeat the terrorist group Islamic State.
Wendy Sherman mentioned, in this sense, the Kingdom’s contribution as co-chairman of the Africa Focus Group, a think tank aimed at adopting a forward-looking and strategic approach to the threat posed by ISIS, said a joint press release having sanctioned this session of strategic dialogue.
The American diplomat took this opportunity to recall the leadership of King Mohammed VI in the implementation of a “wide-ranging reform agenda”.
On a visit to Rabat last March, Antony Blinken, in turn, wished to salute “Morocco’s role in promoting regional stability, prosperity and the historic normalization of relations with Israel”.
A few weeks later, it was the turn of the Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Victoria Nuland, to represent her country at the ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition against Daesh in Marrakech.
This first meeting of the Global Anti-Daesh Coalition in Africa was held at the joint invitation of Nasser Bourita and the head of American diplomacy, the fight against terrorism being at the center of cooperation between Rabat and Washington.
American officials are thus not missing any opportunity to salute the Kingdom’s counter-terrorism strategy, as evidenced by the State Department’s 2020 report on terrorism.
This annual report welcomed the efforts made by the Kingdom in the fight against terrorism, stating that “The Moroccan government has pursued its comprehensive strategy, which includes vigilant security measures, regional and international cooperation and policies to combat radicalization.”
In addition to the political, economic and security aspects, the two countries regularly engage on human rights issues, including the promotion of freedom of expression and association, criminal justice reforms, women’s rights and the gender equality, and government transparency.
Washington thus recalled that March 2022 marked the beginning of the last year of the five-year contract of 460 million dollars administered by the Millennium Challenge Corporation of the United States.
“Together, the United States and Morocco are expanding education and employment opportunities for youth across the Kingdom, as well as land productivity and land rights for women in rural areas”underlined the American diplomacy in a press release.
The 18th edition of African Lion, the largest military exercise organized in Africa, came to devote, for its part, the close military cooperation between the two countries. And for good reason, since 2004, Morocco has been considered an ally outside NATO. ” major “ the United States.
Organized from June 20 to 30 by the Royal Armed Forces and the American Armed Forces, in accordance with the High Instructions of King Mohammed VI, Supreme Leader and Chief of General Staff of the FAR, the “African Lion” exercise aims to perfect the intervention capacities of the participating units and to strengthen their combined action capacities in terms of the planning and implementation of military operations within the framework of a coalition.
Driven by their centuries-old historic ties and their all-out cooperation, Morocco and the United States are serenely pursuing the consolidation of a harmonious partnership, in a world where multilateralism remains essential, although today under severe strain, to meet current and future challenges.
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