In accordance with the royal directives regarding the 11th session of the Defense Advisory Committee, the Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of National Defense, Mr. Abdellatif Loudiyi, received today, Tuesday, at the headquarters of the National Defense Administration, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense for Policy, Mr. Anthony Tata, who is on a three-day working visit to the Kingdom at the head of a high-level military delegation.
A statement from the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces noted that, at the outset of their talks, the officials expressed their satisfaction with the strength, excellence, and durability of the exceptional ties and strategic partnership between the United States and the Kingdom of Morocco.
The statement added that the officials also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening these long-standing relations within the spirit of friendship, mutual understanding, and mutual trust that exists between them.
In this regard, the two officials emphasized the importance of the U.S. administration’s decision to recognize the Kingdom of Morocco’s full sovereignty over the entire Moroccan Sahara region. According to the same source, this recognition makes the Moroccan autonomy initiative the only realistic, serious, and practical solution to the regional dispute over our southern provinces.
The two officials also affirmed that this historic event will undoubtedly have positive implications for the region’s geostrategy, as well as for peace, stability, security, and economic integration in the Maghreb, the Sahel, and the Middle East.
On the other hand, Mr. Lodi highlighted Morocco’s unwavering commitment, under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, to serving as a key player in regional stability through the implementation of a multidimensional strategy to combat terrorism and illicit trafficking and to address the migration crisis through humanitarian measures.
The two officials expressed their satisfaction with the positive results of bilateral military cooperation. This regular, intensive, and diverse cooperation includes, in particular, training for senior officers, the exchange of expertise, and the organization of large-scale joint exercises. It is also characterized by the regular convening of meetings of the Defense Consultative Committee.
According to the statement, Mr. Lodié proposed strengthening military cooperation with the United States by inviting the U.S. Department of Defense to explore further opportunities for cooperation to carry out joint projects in the defense industry in Morocco.
Also today, in accordance with the high instructions of His Majesty, Supreme Commander and Chief of General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces, General de Cour D’Armes, Inspector General of the Royal Armed Forces, received the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense for Policy at the General Staff Headquarters of the Royal Armed Forces, in the presence of General de Cour D’Armes, Commander of the Royal Gendarmerie.
The statement added that on this occasion, and as part of the 11th meeting of the Moroccan-American Advisory Defense Committee, a small working session was held under the joint chairmanship of General de Cour D’Army, Inspector General of the Royal Armed Forces, and the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense for Policy.
This working session was followed by a plenary session attended by members of the U.S. delegation, the Commander of the Royal Gendarmerie, and the heads of the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces, which addressed Moroccan-U.S. military cooperation and prospects for its development.
In this context, the Moroccan and U.S. delegations discussed various aspects and key directions for strengthening joint efforts.
The meeting of the Moroccan-American Defense Consultative Committee, which is held every two years alternately in Rabat and Washington, falls within the framework of bilateral military cooperation, which focuses in particular on training, exercises, military equipment, and logistics.
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