Features

The
Morocco-US Strategic Dialogue

On September 13, 2012, Morocco and the Unites States will launch a Strategic Dialogue—one of about two dozen such agreements in existence and the only one in North Africa.  Under the leadership of King Mohammed VI and the last three US Administrations, the Morocco-US relationship has advanced on economic, political, social, and security fronts.  This Strategic Dialogue is yet another milestone in the Morocco-US relationship that has lasted more than two centuries.

Click here for the Rationale for a US-Morocco Strategic Partnership

(Moroccan American Center for Policy)

What is the Morocco-US Strategic Dialogue?

The Morocco-US Strategic Dialogue is a formal framework that provides a means to deepen bilateral cooperation on strategic issues and high priority objectives.  Through regular consultations between Moroccan and US senior officials, cooperation will become institutionalized so that progress and pursuit of shared goals remain unaffected by changes in administration, leadership, and personnel.

Why is a Strategic Dialogue with Morocco important for the United States now?

The Morocco-US Strategic Dialogue will allow the US to coordinate its foreign policy interests and values more closely with Morocco and to benefit from Morocco’s experience and strategic importance in the region. Morocco has a long history of cooperation and partnership with the US on a wide range of issues.  The Strategic Dialogue formally recognizes the significance of the Morocco-US relationship and the advances achieved from this relationship over the past decade, including the Morocco-US Free Trade Agreement, the Millennium Challenge Compact, and Morocco’s designation as a major non-NATO ally.

Morocco has worked most recently with three US Administrations to strengthen bilateral relations and to implement the two countries’ shared future vision for the Middle East and North Africa.  The Strategic Dialogue provides an opportunity to address new challenges and promote shared interests and values in the region.  The recent uprisings and turmoil from the ‘Arab Spring’ demonstrate that now more than ever the US needs a strong, reliable, and influential ally in the region. As such an ally, and in its current role as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, Morocco is an important partner for the US in pursuing peaceful resolutions for conflicts like those in Syria and Mali.

What are the expected benefits of the Morocco-US Strategic Dialogue?

Through regular high-level meetings, Morocco and the US will identify the most critical areas for cooperation and develop and implement action plans aimed at furthering each country’s foreign policy objectives — such as counterterrorism cooperation, democracy promotion, regional economic development, civil society empowerment, and resolution of the Western Sahara conflict.