Just a week before the UN Security Council convenes to discuss the Western Sahara issue, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita is scheduled to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Tuesday.
The bilateral meeting is set to take place at 2:00 p.m. local time at the State Department, with Lisa Kenna, Senior Official for Political Affairs, also in attendance. A brief media opportunity will precede closed-door discussions, the specifics of which may be disclosed later by U.S. officials.
This meeting is part of the ongoing strategic dialogue between the United States and Morocco, long-standing partners with close cooperation on critical regional matters, including counter-terrorism, stability in the Sahel, energy security, and Mediterranean power dynamics.
Bourita’s visit occurs at a diplomatically sensitive time, with the upcoming Security Council meeting on the Sahara drawing international attention. It also builds upon the bilateral momentum established under the Trump administration, which in December 2020 officially recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara and announced the opening of a US consulate in Dakhla, signaling strong US support for Morocco’s autonomy proposal.
While no other public meetings have been announced for the Moroccan Foreign Minister’s visit, this strategic engagement in Washington could significantly influence the tone of upcoming discussions at the United Nations, particularly given the current fragile geopolitical landscape in the region.
MK/Sf/ac/fss/abj/APA