Morocco and the United States signed an unprecedented twinning agreement on Friday in Washington between the National Laboratory of Scientific Police under Morocco's General Directorate of National Security and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the United States.
The signing ceremony, held at the U.S. State Department, was attended by Assistant Secretary of State Mallory Stewart, Moroccan Ambassador to the United States Youssef Amrani, and a substantial Moroccan delegation. The delegation included Ismaïl Chekkori, Director for Global Issues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Abroad; representatives of the National Authority on the Chemical Weapons Convention; Police Prefect Taoufik Sayerh; and Divisional Commissioner Hakima Yahya.
According to Ambassador Amrani, this agreement marks significant progress in enhancing the Morocco-U.S. partnership, describing it as "a very special mark of trust and the unwavering commitment that drives the development of our relationship with the United States, with the constantly renewed ambition to build, in accordance with the vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, cooperative bridges between our nations."
The aim of the agreement is to establish new processes and methods to enhance scientific interoperability between the laboratories, leveraging "the strong existing diplomatic and political convergences in our respective visions for international peace and security," Amrani noted.
The Moroccan official highlighted the "unique and historic relationship" between Morocco and the United States, founded on shared values and principles. The twinning agreement, he said, represents "a new breakthrough which will consolidate not only Moroccan capacities but also those of our African partners."
The Moroccan delegation emphasized the importance of this initiative, noting that the agreement will enrich the bilateral partnership and support efforts in disarmament and non-proliferation, particularly concerning the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Assistant Secretary of State Stewart praised the robust partnership with Morocco, noting that the shared ambitions extend beyond existing collaborations to explore and innovate in new areas. "We have the shared ambition with Morocco to build upon what already exists, but above all to innovate and explore new areas to extend our exceptional partnership," she stated.
The agreement, she added, represents a fundamental step towards deeper cooperation in arms control and non-proliferation, aligning with the Chemical Weapons Convention. "This committed effort drives our close collaboration, and we look forward to seeing this relationship continue to deepen and diversify," Stewart concluded.
