US Secretary of State Antony Blinken Expected to Visit Morocco in May

Rabat – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to visit Marrakech on May 11 for a working visit.

Blinken’s visit appears to be part of a meeting of the Global Coalition against Daesh which Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita will also attend, Morocco’s news outlet Le360 reported on Tuesday.

Organizations, diplomats and representatives from over 80 countries are expected to attend the meeting.

The official agenda of the international conference has yet to be revealed.

Discussions about the Marrakech conference were at the center of Bourita’s meeting with Blinken during his visit to Rabat from March 28 to 30.

The US official visited Morocco after his participation in the Negev Summit held in Israel. Minister Bourita also took part in the summit alongside other Arab leaders.

During his previous working visit, Blinken reiterated the Biden administration’s commitment to continue supporting Morocco’s development reforms.

He also emphasized Morocco’s contribution to regional security and stability as well as its commitment to fighting terrorism.

The coalition’s meeting in December 2021 saw the launch of an African think tank co-chaired by Morocco, Niger, Italy and the US, aimed at improving the stability across the continent by exchanging views to reach a common understanding of threats related to Daesh.

The economic impact of terrorism in Africa over the past decade has reached an estimated $171 billion, according to the UNDP.

“27 terrorist entities based in Africa are now on the UN Security Council sanctions list as terrorist groups, responsible for the deaths of 12,500 people in 2020,” Bourita said at the 2021 coalition conference.

Meanwhile, 2020 was the deadliest year in terms of terrorist violence in the Sahel with a death toll of 4,250, an increase of 60% compared to 2019.

In 2020, the UN Security Council issued a statement condemning terrorism in all forms and manifestations, urging for more support to countries in areas such as training and in developing action plans.

Morocco is among the African countries that renewed its commitment to continue working alongside the UN and other partners against the scourge of terrorism.