Rabat – The General Director of National Security and Territorial Surveillance (DGST-DGSN), Abdellatif Hammouchi, received on Thursday US Ambassador to Morocco David Fischer.
The meeting is part of the bilateral cooperation between the US and Morocco, DGST said in a press release.
The DGST headquarters in Rabat hosted the meeting, which saw the participation of other representatives of the US embassy in Rabat and security experts from Morocco.
The meeting featured discussion on “various security issues of mutual interest” between Morocco and the US. These included mechanisms of cooperation in the field of combating terrorism, violent extremism, and organized crime.
The dialogue also highlighted the increasing links of their cooperation in North Africa and the Sahel countries. It also touched on means to further boost their cooperation, “which has become a role model in the fight against terrorism.”
Morocco has long warned about the increase of terror threats in the Saharan-Sahel region, describing the region as breeding ground for terror organizations.
The US and Moroccan representatives also discussed mechanisms to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the DGSN and US security agencies in combating risks and threats related to transnational organized crime.
The meeting further emphasized the importance of exchange of expertise between US and Moroccan security services.
Hammouchi and Fischer expressed the determination of Morocco and the US to develop the appropriate forms and levels of cooperation to contribute to establishing security and world peace.
The US has continuously applauded cooperation between the two countries in all fields, repeatedly recalling that Morocco was one of the first countries to recognize the newly independent US.
“The United States works work with Morocco through a range of programs to enhance the two countries’ abilities to work together on regional security issues, including countering terrorism and countering illicit trafficking,” the US State of Department said in 2019.
The US has expressed satisfaction with Morocco’s counterterrorism approach over the years in its annual reports.
In June, the US State Department issued the 2019 Annual Country Report on Terrorism for Morocco, extolling the North African country’s partnership with the US in the security field.
The State Department noted that Morocco continues to face ”sporadic” terror threats from independent ISIS-inspired cells.
The report also mentions that the country did not witness any terror-related incidents in 2019, recalling dismantling operations of more than 25 cells and the arrest of over 125 individuals for their alleged involvement with ISIS throughout the year.
