Rabat – Javier Colomina Piriz, the deputy Assistant Secretary General of the North Atlantic Organization (NATO) for Political Affairs and Security Policy has emphasized the importance of deepening security cooperation with Morocco.
Colomina Piriz made his remarks during his working visit to Morocco, where he met with authorities to intensify security cooperation.
The NATO official expressed satisfaction with the cooperation with Morocco and recalled the bloc’s interest in deepening the “enormously satisfactory” partnership with the North African country.
He also welcomed Morocco’s “enormous responsibility” to tackle the scourge of terrorism.
The US designated Morocco as a major Non-NATO ally in 2004. The North African country is considered one of the key international players in countering terrorism.
All of Morocco’s security units work to tackle terrorism threats. In 2015, however, Morocco introduced the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ), a specialized unit whose task is to counter extremism and dismantle terror groups.
Since 2002, Morocco dismantled 2,009 terror cells and arrested over 3,353 people for their alleged involvement in terrorist activities. The North African country’s security units also aborted over 500 terrorist plots.
Many countries emphasized the importance of cooperation with Morocco against terrorism. Germany is among the states that extolled cooperation with Morocco against terrorism.
Rabat and Berlin agreed on Monday to intensify cooperation in the field of security against terrorism, cybercrimes, fraud, and human trafficking.
In 2021, the US State Department released its 2020 Country Report on terrorism, emphasizing the importance of the “long history of strong” counterterrorism cooperation with Morocco.
“Law enforcement officials and private airline carriers worked regularly with the United States to detect and deter individuals attempting to transit illegally and to address watchlisted travelers. Moroccan airport authorities have excellent capabilities in detecting fraudulent documents,” the report said.
