US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Josh Harris arrived in Morocco on Wednesday as part of a working trip to discuss Rabat-Washington cooperation on different levels.
The US State Department’s Near Eastern Affairs Bureau announced the news through X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday evening.
According to the brief announcement, Harris arrived in Morocco to hold meetings with several Moroccan government officials, including Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita.
The meetings seek to discuss advancing regional peace, prosperity, and security.
The agenda is also set to include talks on the Western Sahara.
Previously, the US State Department said that the visits would serve as an opportunity for Harris to “consult on regional security and reaffirm full support for the UN Political process for Western Sahara.”
In addition to Morocco, Harris also visited Algeria, where he met with senior officials to discuss US-Algerian ties.
The US is one of the countries that view Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as a serious and credible basis to end the dispute over Western Sahara.
In addition to its support for Morocco’s efforts, the US also recognizes Morocco’s sovereignty and territorial integrity over Western Sahara.
The US decision sparked frustration among the Polisario Front –the separatist group claiming independence in Western Sahara– as well as Algeria, which has been lobbying to convince the US department to reverse the recognition.
Algeria’s regime has also strongly rejected engaging in the UN-led political process as a main party, claiming to be merely an observer to the dispute.
The continued reluctance also comes amid repeated appeals from the UN, calling on all parties to the decades-long dispute, including Algeria to engage in the UN-led process without preconditions and with a shared objective of reaching a compromise-based and politically realistic solution.
