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The relationship between Rabat and Washington is a “pillar” of the United States policy in the region, in Africa and beyond, director of Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East at the Hudson Institute, Michael Doran said.
“In North Africa especially, but I think all of Africa, and even beyond the U.S.-Moroccan relationship is going to be a pillar of American policy,” Doran told MAP-Washington on the occasion of the celebration of Morocco’s Throne Day.
As the world goes through major changes, president Donald Trump is increasingly looking for partnerships with “dependable allies with whom we have a longstanding relationship,” such as Morocco, which the United States considers “an island of stability, but also of moderation,” Doran added.
Doran, who served as the White House senior director in the National Security Council under president George W. Bush, cited in this regard the “outstanding contributions of Morocco in the fight against extremism, in religious tolerance, but also, let’s not forget, in the realm of security, counterterrorism and an economic development of its region.”
In all of those areas, “the United States is going to look to Morocco for leadership and assistance,” said Doran, who also was a deputy assistant secretary of defense in the Pentagon.
In this regard, the U.S. expert deemed “absolutely indispensable” Morocco’s role, under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, in promoting moderate islam thanks to its various religious institutions.
Speaking to the co-development efforts the north-African Kingdom has been making towards Africa, Doran hailed the Atlantic Initiative launched by HM the King to facilitate access to the Atlantic ocean for Sahel countries.
This initiative reflects His Majesty’s understanding of the connection between economic development and security, and the fact that “if people don’t have the ability to work, (…) then it’s just going to be a breeding ground for violence and extremism,” the Hudson Institute expert noted.
As Morocco celebrates the 26th anniversary of His Majesty’s ascension to the Throne, it is important to note, Doran underlined, that Morocco is a reliable partner of the United States in the stability of the region.
Morocco’s “quiet, dependability and bold reforms (…) married to stability, and commitment to pluralism and to interreligious understanding” is what “really stands out when you’re looking at Morocco or at the region from a distance,” Doran concluded.
Source: map
