Washington – US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, met in Washington, Tuesday, 1st of October 2024, amid rising tensions in the Middle East. The two leaders exchanged views on developments in North Africa and the Middle East.
Blinken told reporters that the U.S. would keep working on de-escalating the conflict in the region. Ties between Washington and Rabat have improved significantly since the United States supported Morocco’s claim over Western Sahara in December of 2020.
The recognition was slammed by Western Sahara’s Polisario Front and Algeria. In exchange, Morocco agreed to normalize relations with Israel.
The below is attributable to Spokesperson, Matthew Miller:
Secretary of State, Antony J. Blinken, met today with Moroccan Foreign Minister, Nasser Bourita. The Secretary and Foreign Minister discussed efforts to advance regional and global peace and to further strengthen the U.S. – Morocco partnership. The Secretary expressed appreciation for King Mohamed VI’s crucial voice in advancing a more peaceful and secure Middle East region.
The Secretary highlighted Morocco’s leadership in responding to humanitarian needs in Gaza, supporting stabilization in the West Bank, and contributing to the revitalization of the Palestinian Authority. The Secretary welcomed Morocco’s ongoing efforts to end the political stalemate in Libya and address instability in the Sahel.
The Secretary affirmed full U.S. support for UN Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General Staffan de Mistura and his efforts to advance negotiations leading to an enduring and dignified political solution for Western Sahara without further delay. He reiterated that the United States continues to view Morocco’s Autonomy Proposal as serious, credible, realistic, and one potential approach to satisfy the aspirations of the people of Western Sahara. (PERSISMA/Ed)
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