Per the High Royal Instructions, the Lieutenant General, Inspector General of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR), and Commander of the South Zone held talks on February 6, at the headquarters of the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR), with the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs, Jennifer Zakriski.
The meeting took place in the presence of the Director of Strategy, Engagement, and Programs of the United States Africa Command (USAC), Major General Kenneth P. Ekman, and the United States Ambassador to Morocco, Puneet Talwar.
According to a press release, the two officials praised, during this meeting, the excellent relations uniting the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) and the US Armed Forces which are manifested through intense, frequent, and regular cooperation.
On this occasion, the Inspector General of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) recalled that “these relations were initiated in particular by the signing, in 1786, of the Moroccan-American Treaty of Peace and Friendship, the oldest treaty ever signed by the United States with a third country,” which laid the foundations of a historical bond between the two countries.
The meeting was also an opportunity to discuss the different aspects of military cooperation between the two armies, in particular the defense industry, the acquisition of materials and equipment with the necessary technical and logistical support, training, and technology transfer as well as the strengthening of bilateral cooperation in the field of disaster management, with a focus on the role of the Royal Armed Forces, in accordance with the High Royal Guidelines, in the area of peacekeeping; as a credible leader and partner that promotes regional peace, security and cooperation.
Military cooperation between Morocco and the United States is governed by a set of agreements and is part of the 2020-2030 road map aimed at establishing an exemplary strategic partnership capable of facing various challenges.
This partnership focuses in particular on strategic dialogue, training, exercises, the Partnership Program with the Utah National Guard, and financial and equipment support.