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Rabat – US Ambassador to Morocco Duke Buchan visited the southern Moroccan city of Laayoune on Tuesday, meeting local officials and highlighting growing economic cooperation between Morocco and the United States in the country’s southern provinces.
Wearing traditional Sahrawi derâa, the Ambassador met with President of Laayoune’s communal council Moulay Hamdi Ould Errachid at the municipality headquarters in the presence of municipal officials and members of the US delegation.
The meeting focused on the long-standing strategic partnership between Morocco and the US, with both sides discussing ways to strengthen cooperation and expand economic ties, according to a statement from Laayoune Commune.
During the talks, Ould Errachid presented an overview of Laayoune’s development in recent years, including major infrastructure projects, sports and cultural facilities, social programs, urban development, and improvements in public services carried out under King Mohammed VI’s leadership.
Ould Errachid also outlined Laayoune’s economic potential, describing the city as a growing investment hub and a gateway to Africa. He pointed to opportunities in renewable energy, fisheries, logistics, tourism, industry, and services, supported by modern infrastructure and an investment-friendly environment.
Focus on investment
Buchan showed particular interest in investment opportunities in Laayoune, asking about measures to encourage foreign investment and ways to strengthen economic cooperation between Moroccan and American businesses, added the statement.
The ambassador commended the city’s development and infrastructure, emphasizing the importance of maintaining dialogue and building stronger partnerships that support local development and investment.
The visit comes as Washington continues to reaffirm its support for Morocco’s position on Western Sahara.
Earlier this week, Buchan reiterated the United States’ commitment to backing Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara, emphasizing peace, regional stability, and prosperity. In an Instagram post, he welcomed Morocco’s decision to name the Tiznit-Dakhla Expressway after US President Donald Trump.
“The President Donald J. Trump Highway stands as a powerful monument to the visionary leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI,” Buchan said, describing the Moroccan monarch as “a true partner for peace” and reaffirming Trump’s commitment to supporting a “Moroccan Sahara defined by peace, regional stability, and prosperity for generations to come.”
Trump also thanked King Mohammed VI in a post on Truth Social, calling Morocco’s decision to name the 1,055-kilometer Tiznit-Dakhla Expressway after him “a great honor” and expressing hope to travel its full length in the future.
Strengthening US-Morocco ties
Relations between Rabat and Washington have continued to deepen since the United States recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara in December 2020. Since then, successive US administrations have maintained that position and repeatedly described Morocco’s autonomy plan as the only realistic and credible basis for resolving the regional dispute.
Washington has also continued to support the UN-led political process and backed the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2797, which reaffirmed support for a realistic, pragmatic, and lasting political solution while placing Morocco’s autonomy initiative as a serious and credible proposal.
Morocco’s autonomy plan has gained increasing international support, with more than 130 countries now backing the initiative through public endorsements or by opening consulates in the southern provinces.
