Morocco opens Consulate General in Miami

Morocco has opened a new Consulate General in Miami. This is now the fourth in the United States, following those established in Washington, New York and Los Angeles.

This demonstrates the strong political harmony between the Kingdom of Morocco and the United States, two close partners and allies on the geopolitical stage.

The ties between the two nations continue to grow stronger and political and diplomatic cooperation is intense. The new Consulate General in Miami will serve tens of thousands of Moroccans who pass through this important city, located in the state of Florida, which has a population of 22 million, within Miami-Dade County, which has more than 2 million inhabitants and is itself a city of nearly half a million people.

Thousands of Moroccans travel through the area throughout the year, and the new Moroccan Consulate General can be of great help to them in carrying out any procedures or obtaining information necessary for their daily lives in the United States. Having an institution like this nearby provides Moroccan residents and those passing through the area with numerous necessary services that can help them efficiently resolve various issues that may arise.

The role of consulates in general is quite important. Among other things, they serve to provide protection and assistance to their country's citizens abroad. They also handle administrative procedures, such as issuing passports and visas, and promoting bilateral relations between the collaborating nations. This promotion is very beneficial, especially in economic and commercial terms.

The opening ceremony of the new Consulate General of Morocco in Miami was attended by important US officials and members of the Moroccan community in the area.

The Moroccan ambassador to the United States, Youssef Amrani, spoke at the opening ceremony, stating that the opening of this Consulate General demonstrates the care and attention that the Moroccan kingdom gives to its community abroad and its clear desire to support it with ‘proximity, efficiency and dignity’.

Youssef Amrani pointed out that the Consulate in Miami is fully in line with King Mohammed VI's vision of a profound reform of public policies towards Moroccans around the world. In this vein, he explained that the North African country ‘strengthens, maintains and revitalises the unbreakable ties between Moroccans around the world and their homeland’.

The ambassador described this administrative office as a mechanism that fulfils multiple functions, acting as ‘an administrative liaison point, a place of listening and a strong symbol of the bond’ between Morocco and its citizens, and demonstrating ‘the Kingdom's unwavering commitment to its people’.

At the ceremony, US officials praised the dynamism of bilateral relations between the United States and Morocco, which are close allies on the international stage. The bond between the two nations is currently very strong, with cooperation at all levels, including political, economic and military.

The mayor of Miami, Francis Suárez, who participated in the inauguration ceremony of the new Consulate alongside Ambassador Youssef Amrani and Consul General Chafika El Habti, highlighted this new facility: 'This Consulate goes beyond being a bridge connecting Morocco with Miami, or between the Kingdom and a region of the United States'.

Speaking to the official Moroccan news agency MAP, he explained that this Consulate could serve as a link with Africa, North America and Latin America, opening up a range of exceptional economic opportunities.

The relationship between the United States and Morocco is now strong under Donald Trump's second administration in the United States and the reign of Mohammed VI in the North African country. This beneficial situation received a major boost with the decision by Donald Trump's first administration in December 2020 to recognise Morocco's proposal for autonomy for Western Sahara as the most serious and viable option for resolving the Sahrawi dispute, which has been ongoing for almost five decades since the end of Spanish colonial rule. Morocco responded to this diplomatic move by establishing diplomatic relations with Israel in the wake of the Abraham Accords, under which several Arab countries established ties with the Israeli state with a view to pacifying the Middle East and promoting progress in the region.