Ahead of his talks on Tuesday, October 1st, with Nasser Bourita at the State Department in Washington, Antony Blinken reaffirmed the importance the United States places on its strategic partnership with Morocco.
In a press statement given before his discussions with Morocco's Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Living Abroad, the U.S. Secretary of State emphasized that the United States attaches "great importance" to its partnership with Morocco, particularly in promoting stability in the Middle East, as well as in Africa and North Africa.
"Morocco is an essential partner of the United States," stated Antony Blinken. He added, "I place great importance on the relationship between our two countries."
Nasser Bourita, on his part, highlighted that his discussions with his American counterpart provide an opportunity to coordinate actions between the two countries within the framework of their strategic partnership.
"We are partners for peace. This partnership is even more vital in a context marked by escalations in the Middle East and issues in the Sahel, Libya, and Europe," said the Moroccan Foreign Minister.
During the meeting between Nasser Bourita and Antony Blinken, which falls within the scope of ongoing political consultations between the two nations, the two officials exchanged views on various aspects of the Morocco-U.S. strategic partnership and discussed several regional and international issues.
This meeting comes at a significant moment, as Morocco and the United States are celebrating the 20th anniversary of two key milestones in their relations: the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the only one the United States has signed with an African country, and the military exercise "African Lion," the largest American military exercise on the African continent.