The Mayor of Orlando, Florida, Buddy Dyer, has urged the new US President, Joe Biden, to maintain the agreement according to which the US recognizes Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara.
In a column published today, February 16, on Orlando Sentinel, the largest local newspaper in the Floridian city, Dyer spoke highly of Morocco and its bilateral ties with the US, stressing the need to preserve and improve these relations.
“I want to encourage the new Biden administration to honor the US-Israel-Morocco agreement and build upon it,” he wrote. “There is much that binds the 243-year diplomatic history of Morocco and the United states, and this agreement is the latest and best evidence of an alliance that we ought to reinforce whenever and however we can.”
Dyer wrote the column after some Algerian-backed lobbyists in the US attempted to convince the Biden administration to reverse former US President Donald Trump’s decision to support Morocco’s territorial integrity.
“Some wish to see that agreement paused or reversed […] But I’d urge caution in reversing this agreement. Peace of any kind in this part of the world is hard-won, and this agreement inches us toward peace,” the US official commented.
“At a time when the world is more interdependent than ever […] diplomatic deals should be treated as wins, no matter which president pushed for the deal itself,” he continued.
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Dyer expressed his hope that the recent agreement between Morocco and the US would significantly boost bilateral cooperation.
The mayor began his text by highlighting the importance of the Moroccan community in the US, and in Orlando specifically.
“My city has one of the highest concentrations of Moroccan residents in the US, with tens of thousands calling Orlando home, and has long been an American outpost of Moroccan culture and life,” he said.
Dyer recalled that, during a visit to Morocco two years ago, he and other American mayors palpably felt the need to improve bilateral cooperation.
“The United States ought to do everything it can to strengthen its diplomatic relationship with this North African country and important ally,” he wrote.
The elected US official also praised Morocco’s development efforts in various fields, notably the fights against anti-Semitism, gender inequalities, and climate change.
“In a region rife with anti-Semitism, Morocco has taken a strong stand against vulgarities like Holocaust denial. In an area of the world lagging in women’s rights, Morocco has demonstrated leadership […] They’ve also gone above and beyond to address climate change,” he concluded.
