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Ties between Washington and Rabat have improved significantly since the United States supported Morocco’s claim over Western Sahara in December 2020
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita met in Washington recently amid rising tensions in the Middle East to share their views on developments in North Africa and the Middle East.
Blinken told the press after the meeting that the U.S. would keep working on de-escalating the conflict in the region. Ties between Washington and Rabat have improved significantly since the United States supported Morocco’s claim over Western Sahara in December 2020. The recognition was slammed by Western Sahara’s Polisario Front and Algeria. In exchange, Morocco agreed to normalize relations with Israel.
Blinken expressed appreciation for King Mohamed VI’s crucial voice in advancing a more peaceful and secure Middle East region and highlighted Morocco’s leadership in responding to humanitarian needs in Gaza, supporting stabilization in the West Bank, and contributing to revitalizing the Palestinian Authority. The Secretary welcomed Morocco’s ongoing efforts to end the political stalemate in Libya and address instability in the Sahel.
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The Secretary affirmed full U.S. support for the UN Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General Staffan de Mistura and his efforts to advance negotiations leading to an enduring and dignified political solution for Western Sahara without further delay. He reiterated that the United States continues to view Morocco’s Autonomy Proposal as serious, credible, realistic, and one potential approach to satisfy the aspirations of the people of Western Sahara.
