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Rabat – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to arrive in Morocco next week, Axios reported on Wednesday.
The visit appears to be part of Blinken’s tour, which will see him stopping in different countries, including Algeria.
If confirmed, Blinken’s visit will be the first of its kind to Morocco as Blinken has not visited the North African country since he was appointed as secretary of state for the current administration.
The US official, however, maintains fluid contact with Morocco’s government, including Moroccan Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita.
In November 2021, Blinken met with Bourita at the US State Department.
During the meeting, Blinken expressed satisfaction with the meeting, which he considered in line with the US-Moroccan “long-standing partnership.”
Both the US and Morocco share strong diplomatic relations. Ties between the two countries further strengthened after the US officially recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara region in December 2020.
Former US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation, supporting Morocco’s territorial integrity.
The current US administration has upheld the position in favor of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara despite lobbying attempts from Algeria and Polisario.
One of the latest US actions, signaling its unwavering support for Morocco’s position came in the form of the latest spending bill that Joe Biden signed earlier this month.
The funds directed to Morocco were briefly mentioned under titles III and IV of the latest US spending bill.
The funds appropriated under title III used to be reserved for US funding to “Western Sahara,” Morocco’s southern provinces. The US move emphasizes that its supportive stance on Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara has become official US policy.
Morocco’s diplomacy has been celebrating its recent achievements in the Sahara dossier.
Last week, the Spanish government officially endorsed Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as the most serious and credible political solution to end the dispute over Western Sahara.
The French government also renewed its support for Morocco’s autonomy initiative.
France also reiterated its support for the UN-led political process to find a mutually acceptable and agreed upon political solution to end the conflict.
Blinken’s visit comes amid a state of escalation between Morocco and Algeria.
Blinken’s visit will be his first in Morocco since he visited the country in 2016 as Deputy Secretary of State as part of the administration of former US President Barack Obama.
