Estados Unidos enfatiza su apoyo a Marruecos en la cuestión del Sáhara Occidental

The US diplomatic tour of Morocco gets underway. The Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, has begun his visit to the Alawi kingdom under the slogan "commitment to security and prosperity", underlining "the deep and enduring relationship" that unites the two countries.

According to a statement issued by the US State Department, the strategic partnership between the two countries is "anchored in shared interests in regional peace, security and prosperity". A commitment that makes the US further reiterate its responsibility to support Rabat on the Western Sahara issue, indicating that this initiative is a "serious, credible and realistic" proposal.

 Alongside this, he expressed his support for the UN Secretary General's personal envoy, Staffan de Mistura, for an effective and tangible political process on the Sahara issue, within the framework of the United Nations. 

During his stay in Morocco, Blinken will also meet with high-level Moroccan representatives and will continue to deepen the different aspects of a solid and multifaceted cooperation between the two allied countries that share a common vision. Among these values is the determination to continue to commit to a union that is at the service of development and contributes to regional and international prosperity and peace.

According to Blinken, "Morocco is a stable partner and security provider through its leadership of the Global Counterterrorism Forum and its supporting role in the Global Coalition to defeat Daesh". 

Regional cooperation and security is not the only area where cooperation between the two is more than evident. The health sector, hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, is another area where the United States maintains its strong support in terms of vaccination, training and prevention and awareness campaigns.

He also pointed out that Morocco is a "pioneer in the transition to renewable energies and climate action", stating that "renewable energies have become 45% of total electricity production". 

This close cooperation between the US and Morocco is a direct consequence of the support that the US gave Rabat in December 2020 on the Western Sahara issue. At that time, during Donald Trump's presidency, the United States engaged in unprecedented diplomacy with the Alawi kingdom, which has now been strengthened under the presidency of Joe Biden. Thus, the collaboration between the two countries has made the leap to such transcendental areas as security, energy and cooperation.

On the issue of Western Sahara, countries such as the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Germany and now Spain have followed the lead of the United States, confirming support for the Moroccan ownership of Western Sahara, which is of utmost importance to Morocco. 

Israel is another country that has come out in favour of Morocco's proposal for a resolution of the Sahara issue. This commitment was underlined during the Arab-Israeli summit in Israel. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid declared that they would "work together" to stop "attempts to undermine Morocco's sovereignty and integrity".

This position follows the precepts agreed in the Abraham Accords, a pact reached between Israel and the United Arab Emirates that put an end to the frosty relations between the Hebrew and Arab countries, joined by Morocco and Bahrain, under the umbrella of the United States.

In the same vein, Lapid praised Spain for its recent change of position, calling it a 'positive development' that would benefit regional diplomacy.

Americas Coordinator: José Antonio Sierra