Rabat – Minister Delegate in charge of the Moroccan National Defense Administration Abdeltif Loudyi received today in Rabat Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer.
Bauer is on an official visit to Morocco from April 28-30, according to a statement from the National Defense Administration .
“This visit to the kingdom is part of NATO’s efforts to strengthen its partnership with members of the Mediterranean dialogue, with a review to assess the regional security situation and strengthen cooperation opportunities with the alliance,” the statement added.
During the meeting, which was attended by the General of the Army Corps, Inspector of the Royal Armed and Commander of the Southern Zone, officials exchanged views on different aspects of cooperation between the two parties in d various areas, including training and capacity building to ensure security in the Mediterranean region.
Bauer also emphasized Morocco’s efforts and commitments towards regional stability in the face of challenges affecting security in the region, as well as the Moroccan determination to conduct reform and enhance the North African country’s inference as a “haven of stability and peace” for its Euro-Mediterranean and African neighborhood.
NATO officials frequently emphasize the importance of cooperation with Morocco, which has been present in several high-level events to discuss its role and commitment towards regional security. Morocco was designated as a major non-NATO ally in 2004.
In his 2023 annual report, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg highlighted the importance of the alliance partnership with Morocco in tackling security challenges.
Morocco’s law enforcement as well as the Kingdom’s army participated in several NATO-sponsored events including Operation Sea Guardian, alongside forces from Britain, Spain and Portugal.
This is in addition to the STEADFAST JACKAL 23 exercise, which was focused on computer-assisted command centers, held in Spain and Norway in late 2023.
Morocco continues to strengthen its security approach to address several challenges, including the scourge of terrorism-related crimes, in addition to other forms of transnational crimes like human trafficking, among others.
