A US Congressional delegation, led by the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Mike Rogers, hailed, on Wednesday in Rabat, King Mohammed VI’s commitment to strengthening peace, prosperity and security in the region and around the world.
Speaking at a press briefing following talks with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad, Nasser Bourita, Mr. Rogers expressed his “deep gratitude to HM King Mohammed VI for his commitment to strengthening bilateral relations between the United States and Morocco and for his role in promoting peace, prosperity and security in the region and around the world”.
These talks, he added, were an opportunity to underline the crucial role of the Kingdom as a partner of the United States on a number of security issues.
In this regard, Mr. Rogers mentioned the forthcoming holding of a new edition of the African Lion, the largest American military exercise in Africa that Morocco has hosted for nearly twenty years.
“This year, African Lion, which will begin in a few weeks, will once again bring thousands of American soldiers to the Kingdom to train alongside their Moroccan counterparts,” he said, stressing that this type of exercise is “essential to the readiness and interoperability of our armed forces, as we work together to address common security challenges”.
Moreover, the Republican congressman welcomed the warming of relations between Morocco and Israel, considering that “these relations are already creating new opportunities for peace and prosperity”.
Relations between Rabat and Washington “will only grow stronger in the years to come”, he said.
For her part, the Democratic Representative Sara Jacobs highlighted the “progress made in the implementation of the reforms launched in the Kingdom under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI over the past two decades”.
“Morocco is a close ally of the United States,” she said, reaffirming the two countries’ mutual commitment to maintaining peace, prosperity and security in the region and in the world.
The American delegation had met earlier in the day with the Minister Delegate to the Head of Government, in charge of the National Defense Administration, Abdeltif Loudyi.