Officials will discuss opportunities to boost economic and security cooperation and to further promote the US-Morocco partnership.
Rabat – David Schenker, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, will visit Morocco later this month to discuss economic and security matters as part of his October 12-21 tour.
The official will also visit Lebanon and the UK.
According to the State Department, Schenker will join US Ambassador to Morocco David Fischer in meetings with Moroccan officials.
The two countries are set to discuss opportunities for boosting economic and security cooperation to “further promote the US-Morocco strategic partnership,” the State Department announced in a press release.
US and Moroccan officials exchange diplomatic visits regularly to renew commitments to work together to boost cooperation in several fields.
One of the most recent visits from a top US official came just weeks before David Schenker’s plan to fly to Morocco to promote partnership between Rabat and Washington.
Earlier this month US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper arrived in Morocco, with aims similar to those listed in David Schenker’s itinerary.
During Esper’s visit, Morocco and the US signed an agreement on military cooperation between Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces and US forces.
The accord envisions strengthened collaboration to consolidate common security goals.
During his visit to Morocco, Esper met with top diplomats and military officials, pledging to continue to work together to face developments that concern their shared interests in the region and beyond.
Morocco and the US consider their partnership exemplary in a wide range of fields, including trade, defense, and security.
The US continues to maintain its position as the top arms supplier for Morocco, accounting for 91% of the North African country’s arms imports.
The two countries consider their security partnership reliable, frequently renewing calls and vows to continue sharing expertise and combining efforts to combat the scourge of terrorism in the MENA region and beyond.
The US has long seen Morocco as a reliable partner in the fight against terrorism.
The US State Department publishes annual reports on terrorism around the world and repeatedly touts its partnership with Morocco in addressing the threat.
The most recent report describes Morocco’s 2019 counterterrorism approach as “comprehensive” and highlights collaboration between security units in the country against terror attacks and terrorists.
“The United States and Morocco have robust and long-standing CT [counterterrorism] cooperation,” the most recent Country Report on Terrorism said.
The State Department also emphasized that Morocco’s CT approach “includes vigilant security measures, regional and international cooperation, and counter-radicalization policies.”
David Schenker’s visit also comes after a meeting between US Ambassador David Fischer and the head of Morocco’s General Directorates of National Security and Territorial Surveillance (DGSN-DGST), Abdellatif Hammouchi, in September.
During the meeting, the two officials renewed commitment to continue to work together to reinforce cooperation in the face of the increase of terrorsim and extremism.
