Senior Moroccan and United States defence officials have held talks in Rabat aimed at strengthening long-standing military cooperation between the two allies and preparing for future strategic consultations.
Lieutenant General Mohammed Berrid, Inspector General of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) and Commander of the South Zone, received Bryan J. Ellis, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for African Affairs, at FAR General Staff headquarters on Monday. Mr Ellis is visiting Morocco from 11 to 13 January, accompanied by a high-level delegation.
According to a statement from the FAR General Staff, the meeting focused on areas of bilateral military cooperation expected to be discussed during the next session of the Morocco–US Defence Consultative Committee, scheduled to take place in Washington, DC, in 2026.
On the same day, Morocco’s Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of the National Defence Administration, Abdeltif Loudyi, also held talks with the US official and his delegation, in line with High Royal Instructions.
Both sides praised the strength of the historic partnership between Rabat and Washington and highlighted the advanced level of military cooperation between the two countries, the National Defence Administration said in a statement.
The talks reaffirmed the shared commitment to deepening the Morocco–US strategic partnership within the framework of the 2020–2030 defence cooperation roadmap, signed in Rabat in October 2020.
Mr Loudyi welcomed what he described as Washington’s “unequivocal and positive” support for Morocco’s sovereignty over its entire territory, and the constructive role played by the United States in this regard.
He also underlined Morocco’s South–South cooperation and regional integration initiatives, launched under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, which he said had positioned the kingdom as a key actor for regional stability and an exporter of peace and security.
For his part, Mr Ellis praised Morocco’s role, under the King’s leadership, as an important stabilising force amid regional security challenges, and highlighted the country’s efforts to pursue reforms and strengthen its influence as a pillar of peace and stability in its neighbourhood.
