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Bekijk Volledige Versie : King Mohammed VI of Morocco To Meet President Obama On Friday



SportFreak
21-11-13, 11:35
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King Mohammed VI of Morocco will meet with U.S President Barack Obama on Friday at the White House to facilitate discussions aimed at deepening cordial relations and strengthening bilateral economic ties between Morocco and the United States.

Friday’s meeting will mark the first time the North African monarch will be meeting the American President, who extended the invitation. According to a press release by the Moroccan American Center for Policy (MACP), the two leaders are expected to explore new ways through which Morocco and the U.S. can work together to meet key economic and security challenges confronting the Maghreb region. They will also discuss political transitions in the region, for which Morocco’s democratic and economic reforms offer a peaceful model for change and renew a series of bilateral commitments.

According to a statement issued by the White House, King Mohammed VI’s visit will highlight the long-standing friendship between the United States and Morocco and help strengthen an already existing strategic partnership between the two countries.

“The President looks forward to discussing a range of issues of mutual interest with King Mohammed VI, including support for Morocco’s democratic and economic reforms. This visit is also an opportunity to increase our cooperation on addressing regional challenges, including countering violent extremism, supporting democratic transitions, and promoting economic development in the Middle East and Africa,” the White House said in the statement.

Morocco and the U.S enjoy a cordial relationship that dates back to 1977 when the Kingdom was the first to give a naval salute to the United States, heralding the new nation as a sovereign, independent one. In 1787, the U.S Congress ratified a Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the two nations which is still in force today and is the longest unbroken treaty relationship in U.S. history. In September 2012, the U.S. and Morocco launched a Strategic Dialogue—the first such U.S. dialogue with a Maghreb nation—to advance common interests on political, economic, security, and educational and cultural affairs. Morocco and the United States are also bound by a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that guarantees free flow of business between the two nations and Tangier, a mid-sized coastal city in Northern Morocco is home to the oldest U.S. diplomatic property in the world.

The King is expected to travel with senior members of Morocco’s new government, including diplomats, advisers and ministers who are expected to hold a series of discussions with their American counterparts and develop new strategic partnerships along socio-economic lines. One of the Ministers who will be travelling with the King is Moulay Hafid Elalamy, one of the richest men in Africa and founder of the Saham Group, a leading insurance group in Morocco and the country’s newly appointed Minister of Industry and Commerce, who will market Morocco as an investment destination to American business leaders.

His Majesty Mohammed VI, King of Morocco ascended to the throne in 1999. Since then, he has met with former U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush in Washington, as well as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, whom he once met in Morocco.