Morocco, a key ally of the United States

Morocco is a key ally of the United States, currently the world's leading power. 

The United States is about to celebrate its 250th anniversary, specifically next year, since it established itself as an independent country from the United Kingdom in 1776. This is a very important anniversary for the American giant. 

Among the most important partners of the American power is Morocco, a North African country that in recent years has gained great importance in the diplomatic and international arena under the reign of Mohammed VI, as shown in an important analysis by the website ShareAmerica, which is affiliated with the US State Department.

It should be remembered that Morocco is the United States' oldest international ally, as it was the first nation to recognise the independence of the United States with the decision of Moroccan Sultan Mohammed III in 1777 to allow US-flagged ships to enter Moroccan ports, a relationship that began as a commercial one and was fully established by the Treaty of Peace and Friendship signed in 1786, which laid the foundations for what has become the longest formal bilateral relationship in US history, a bilateral agreement that is still in force today. 

‘This is a unique friendship that has lasted for several centuries, defying geography and borders,’ said Youssef Amrani, Morocco's ambassador to the United States.

Subsequently, ‘the Second Continental Congress of 1780 expressed its desire for peace and friendship with Morocco,’ ShareAmerica points out, while recalling that the United States ‘was slow to trade with the Moroccans, despite the interest shown by the sultan.’ Finally, in October 1784, it was the capture of an American merchant ship by Moroccan authorities that led to the opening of negotiations. These talks culminated in the signing of the 1786 bilateral treaty, which ‘laid the foundation for what would become the longest official bilateral relationship in the history of the United States.’ 

The Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Morocco and the United States was signed in 1786 and ratified in 1787. 

It is known as the ‘Treaty of Marrakesh’ and was the first treaty the United States signed with an Arab, Muslim or African country, according to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. This treaty formalised diplomatic and commercial relations between the two countries and remains the oldest formal treaty between the United States and another country. 

In recognition of this fledgling alliance, Morocco offered the United States a prominent building in the city of Tangier to establish its diplomatic mission. ‘The site housed American diplomats for 140 years, from the 1820s to the 1960s,’ according to ShareAmerica. Today, this building, now a museum, remains ‘the only national historic site in the United States located outside its territory’ and symbolises the long-standing relationship between the two nations. 

The ties were further strengthened later, even in the military sphere, as ShareAmerica points out. During World War II, ‘US troops stationed in Morocco fought against the Nazi invasion of North Africa.’ Today, the two countries conduct joint military exercises and ‘are partners in the fight against terrorism.’ Proof of this are the African Lion military exercises, the most important in Africa organised by the United States Army's Africa Command (AFRICOM), in which the Moroccan kingdom plays an important role. 

The bilateral relationship between the United States and Morocco was further strengthened by the decision of Donald Trump's first administration in December 2020 to support Morocco's Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara as the most serious and credible option for resolving the Sahrawi dispute, which has been ongoing for almost five decades since the end of Spanish colonial rule in the area.

The issue of Western Sahara is very important to Morocco because the North African country considers it to be historically its own territory and because it has to do with the defence of its territorial integrity and its so-called southern provinces. 

The US decision was linked to Morocco's decision to establish diplomatic ties with Israel, an important partner of the US, by joining the Abraham Accords promoted by the United States in September 2020, whereby several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan, recognised the State of Israel as part of a process aimed at bringing peace to the Middle East and promoting regional development. 

Against this backdrop, the US Secretary of State in Donald Trump's second administration, Marco Rubio, praised the Moroccan kingdom for its ‘leading role in building a better future for Israelis, Palestinians and all the peoples of the region’. 

Alongside the political and military spheres, there is also close economic cooperation between the United States and Morocco. The two countries maintain strong bilateral trade ties, with trade exchanges worth more than 7 billion dollars in 2024. US companies' investments in Morocco place the United States among the top five investors in the Moroccan kingdom, as also explained on the ShareAmerica website.