Rabat – Morocco and the US held the first session of the Africa working group under the Morocco-US Strategic Dialogue on Tuesday in Washington, D.C.
Morocco is the first African country to hold such a meeting with the US. The purpose of the meeting was to enhance American cooperation in Africa based on shared interests, the US Department of State said on Wednesday.
The delegations discussed the need to build on ongoing initiatives to address the political, economic, and security issues facing Africa, said the department’s office of the spokesperson.
The delegations also reviewed new opportunities for triangular cooperation in Africa in finance, trade, youth empowerment, counter-terrorism, and capacity building for the region’s security services and governance.
At the meeting, Moroccan Minister Delegate for African Cooperation Mohcine Jazouli said Africa is a top priority in Morocco’s foreign policy, evidenced by Morocco’s reintegration into the African Union in January 2017. He added that more than 100 Moroccan businesses are active in 42 African countries with a $4 billion investment over a period of 15 years.
Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita arrived yesterday in Washington, D.C., to meet and hold in-depth discussions with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on security-related issues and take part in a symposium with the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.
Morocco is expected to join the US in a military training in Burkina Faso and Mauritania in the coming months. Many countries will take part in Exercise Flintlock 2019, the biggest African-hosted military and law enforcement training in Africa and the US.
Morocco has had a Free Trade Agreement with the US since 2006.
In January, US President Donald Trump told the 100th Annual Convention of the American Farm Bureau Federation on January 14 that multiple countries, including Morocco, have opened their markets to previously restricted US exports. Morocco opened its market to poultry exports from the US.
